Proportional Representation Bill [Passed]

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I appreciate the Vice President's desire to pass this bill under any form necessary, but I have faith that we can come up with a better solution to vacancies than countback.

If permitted, on behalf of the Northeast, I vote Nay.

[Sam Spade]

Present vote: 1-5

[Јas]

Tally on Brandon's Amendment
Aye: 1 (Brandon)
Nay: 5 (Sam; Earl; Ebowed; Al; Moderate)
Yet to Vote: 4 (DWTL; Lewis; PBrunsel; Rob)


As countback is proving impossible to pass and because I believe that this reform will not succeed with by-elections as the replacement option, I have drafted another amendment for consideration.

I now propose that all Senators elected by PR-STV submit replacement lists with the Department of Forum Affairs stating an order of preference of citiznens to fill the seat in the event of a vacancy arising. Ths would effectively guarantee that the balance of the Senate should not be greatly disturbed and that vacancies could be filled in a quick and hassle free manner.

I would appreciate it this would be introduced by a member of this chamber immediately. The amendment is as follows:

That Sections 18 & 19 of the bill be replaced with the following and subsequent sections be renumbered accordingly:

Vacancies
18. Each Senator shall submit to the Department of Forum Affairs a list of citizens who shall be eligible to co-opt their seat in the eventuality of their vacating the seat themselves (hereinafter ‘the list’).
 
19. The list shall be no longer than 10 names long, and shall have names in order of preference as to whom shall be offered the seat in turn, in the event of a vacancy.

20. The list of each Senator shall be amendable at any time by the Senator by giving notice of such change to the Department of Forum Affairs.

21. The list shall be a matter of public record. It shall be the responsibility of the Department of Forum Affairs to maintain a thread or Atlas wikipage containing the lists of the effected Senators.

22. In the event of vacancy, the Department of Forum Affairs shall make public declaration, by way of a thread, of the vacancy which has arisen and publish the list of the ex-Senator.

23. The first preferred person on the list to co-opt the seat shall have 72 hours within which to publicly accept the seat, so long as he is meets such other requirements as may be to hold the office of Senator. Should this not occur, the right to claim the seat shall pass to the second preferred person on the same terms.

24. Should the list find itself exhausted, a by-election for the seat shall be held on a nationwide basis and in accordance with the terms outlined within F.L. 14-2 Consolidated Electoral Reform Act.

[Hatman 🍁]

I'm sorry Jas, but the only method of filling vacancies that I will support is through a by-election.

[Јas]

I'm sorry Jas, but the only method of filling vacancies that I will support is through a by-election.

Even at a cost of the reform not going through at all?

I must say when I wrote this bill, I wouldn't have dreamed that the issue of vacancy filling would be so touchy. Compromise, consensus building and agreement have largely been spurned during this Senate term and frankly this issue, quite subsidiary to the bill as a whole, but yet proving increasingly difficult to find any common ground on epitomises the quite testing relations that the strict partisan divide of this chamber for the past few weeks and months has engendered.

The filling of vacancies is a peripheral issue. Is it worth sending the attempted reform down in flames because of it?

[Brandon H]

I'm satisfied with Jas's amendment and will sponsor if needed.

[Colin]

I have to agree with the esteemed Vice President, when you get down to it filling vacancies should not be something that should derail this amendment, the need for reform in the area of representation is more important than whether the method used for filling vacancies is countback or by-election. I don't really get what the big issue is here. In one sense I can't believe that, after many pages of debate, the main issue is filling vacant Senate seats. I guess I should be happy that people are squabbling mostly over this issue instead of passionately denouncing any effort for reform but to see this reform brought down by divisions over an extraneous issue such as this would be a blow to both this chamber and to the effectiveness of the entire Atlasian government.

[Јas]

I have to agree with the esteemed Vice President, when you get down to it filling vacancies should not be something that should derail this amendment, the need for reform in the area of representation is more important than whether the method used for filling vacancies is countback or by-election. I don't really get what the big issue is here. In one sense I can't believe that, after many pages of debate, the main issue is filling vacant Senate seats. I guess I should be happy that people are squabbling mostly over this issue instead of passionately denouncing any effort for reform but to see this reform brought down by divisions over an extraneous issue such as this would be a blow to both this chamber and to the effectiveness of the entire Atlasian government.

Hear, hear.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

but to see this reform brought down by divisions over an extraneous issue such as this would be a blow to both this chamber and to the effectiveness of the entire Atlasian government.

It would be the correct thing to do if we are trying to stick with Atlasian tradition.

[Јas]

BUMP

Tally on Brandon's Amendment
[Countback as method of vacancy filling]
Aye: 1 (Brandon)
Nay: 5 (Sam; Earl; Ebowed; Al; Moderate)
Yet to Vote: 4 (DWTL; Lewis; PBrunsel; Rob)

[minionofmidas]

Okay, so this very silly countback notion seems not to be going anywhere, if I were to vote for it just in order to swing Brandon's vote.
So, I'll safely vote for the preferable option:

Nay.

[Sam Spade]

With 1 vote in favor, 6 against, and 3 not voting, the amendment has failed.

[Sam Spade]

I'm satisfied with Jas's amendment and will sponsor if needed.

Is this a legit "I sponsor"?  If so, we'll vote on this soon.

[Brandon H]

I'm satisfied with Jas's amendment and will sponsor if needed.

Is this a legit "I sponsor"?  If so, we'll vote on this soon.

Yes.

[Јas]

Voting is now open on the following amendment:

That Sections 18 & 19 of the bill be replaced with the following and subsequent sections be renumbered accordingly:

Vacancies
18. Each Senator shall submit to the Department of Forum Affairs a list of citizens who shall be eligible to co-opt their seat in the eventuality of their vacating the seat themselves (hereinafter ‘the list’).
 
19. The list shall be no longer than 10 names long, and shall have names in order of preference as to whom shall be offered the seat in turn, in the event of a vacancy.

20. The list of each Senator shall be amendable at any time by the Senator by giving notice of such change to the Department of Forum Affairs.

21. The list shall be a matter of public record. It shall be the responsibility of the Department of Forum Affairs to maintain a thread or Atlas wikipage containing the lists of the effected Senators.

22. In the event of vacancy, the Department of Forum Affairs shall make public declaration, by way of a thread, of the vacancy which has arisen and publish the list of the ex-Senator.

23. The first preferred person on the list to co-opt the seat shall have 72 hours within which to publicly accept the seat, so long as he is meets such other requirements as may be to hold the office of Senator. Should this not occur, the right to claim the seat shall pass to the second preferred person on the same terms.

24. Should the list find itself exhausted, a by-election for the seat shall be held on a nationwide basis and in accordance with the terms outlined within F.L. 14-2 Consolidated Electoral Reform Act.

[Sam Spade]

Aye.

[PBrunsel]

Aye

[minionofmidas]

Nay

[Brandon H]

Aye

[Ebowed]

Nay.

[Hatman 🍁]

Nay

[Verily]

I would like to ask those voting Nay what, exactly, they find objectionable about this amendment.

[Hatman 🍁]

I would like to ask those voting Nay what, exactly, they find objectionable about this amendment.

It's undemocratic

[Verily]

I would like to ask those voting Nay what, exactly, they find objectionable about this amendment.

It's undemocratic

Yet surely each Senator would choose people most alike to themselves politically, meaning that, unless you vote on personality over politics, this candidate would have been your choice if you voted for the departing Senator.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I'm going to abstain for now.