09-06-2018, 11:12 PM
11:00
Charissa Clarke, still exhausted from a weekend of angry Kerlian voices yelling at her over the phone, using code words she barely remembered. She'd also seen the documents that Laura Moore had come into possession of. She knew that she shouldn't look, but... was that even her birth certificate? She didn't know. She pushed the thoughts out of her head, and began.
"I am aware of the... difficult history of Aeluria, and as such I recognise that at times the island has different needs to the rest of Lauchenoiria. Therefore, I do understand why further devolution may be necessary. The devolved governments of the island have in the past produced some policies which have later been adopted across the Federation, such as ground-breaking women's rights legislation..."
Laura Moore snorted with laughter, causing Clarke to pause and glare at her. True, mentioning gender probably wasn't her smartest move. But she was tired.
"... and I hope that further devolution will help the island to thrive further. I believe there is scope to devolve further powers in the areas of social security and employment. This would enable the island to..."
Clarke continued on, extolling the virtues of devolving these powers, and no more. It was no coincidence that these were areas where the Aelurians had a traditionally more left-wing outlook. She had to keep her Communist allies happy, of course. Especially if they were plotting against her once more, following the Kerlile allegations, which she was almost certain they were.
"However, all aspects of foreign policy simply must remain under Lauchenoirian control, particularly immigration. We all know of the anti-immigration policies put forward by the AIP that aim to increase their support and weaken democracy by restricting the voting rights of non-Aelurians living permanently on the island. We cannot allow these policies to be increased, if we want a democratic Aeluria."
Those on the Rebel side of the table were all smirking now as Clarke spoke of democracy, but she was past caring. She sat down.
"Thank you, Ms. Clarke. Ms. Moore?" Smyth said.
Laura Moore had slept well over the weekend. She had read every inch of Jae Chung's USB and she was utterly convinced that it meant defeat on Clarke's part.
"Aeluria has been requesting further powers all my life and before. They were treated very unfairly by the Villanueva regime, and as such it is completely understandable that they wish to protect their own interests. That being said, it is simply unreasonable to expect devolution of certain powers. The island depends on trade with the mainland, and as such needs to follow the same regulations in many areas..."
Moore continued to list all the ways in which one area having slightly different policies would make things exceptionally difficult, the rehearsed speech of someone who'd gone over the exact same thing in Parliament a hundred times over when AIP MPs asked questions.
"However, I recognise concessions will have to be made. And, though I loathe to say it, I agree with my... counterpart, Ms Clarke. While it would be disastrous to devolve any powers over trade and industry, social security is an area which probably should be devolved. I would also be open to discussing employment law.
In terms of a referendum on Aelurian independence, I am of the opinion that independence for Aeluria would be a disaster for the island, however I recognise their right to self-determination, and would be open to granting them a referendum."
As Laura Moore sat down, she noticed Clarke had raised an eyebrow at her, clearly waiting until their eyes met. Clarke seemed to be trying to tell her something, or perhaps just brag, but Moore wasn't sure. She ignored it.
"Ms Noguera?"
Keitha Noguera stood, surveying the room. Clarke had been less hostile than she had been anticipating, and Moore more so. Which brought them about even, in her eyes.
"Over the past century, there have been a number of conflicts between Aeluria and colonising powers. They will refuse us independence, tell us we are better off with them, and then proceed to strip us of power and oppress our population. I have seen this with my own eyes.
The Villanueva regime forced native islanders to send their children to mainland boarding schools. I was one of these children. When I returned to the island, the village I had grown up in was gone, destroyed by Lauchenoirian forces because islanders had objected to the communist regime. Nor did the Villanueva regime allow myself, or any other Aelurian, to choose a profession for ourselves. We were assigned jobs, a punishment for what they deemed the island's insolence.
So, when people ask me why I believe Aeluria should be independent, the answer is easy. Aeluria needs independence to protect Aelurians from such actions. The devolution of employment law and social security would of course be a helpful step, but if Lauchenoiria wants to make up for a century of oppression, they must go further.
I will concede that we do import a large amount of goods from mainland Lauchenoiria, but this is a result of the policies of the Lauchenoirian government in restricting our agricultural sector and forcing the island to rely on them. Lauchenoiria also restricts our trade with other nations, something the devolution of certain trade-related powers could solve..."
Noguera went on, listing almost every reserved power and stating why it should be devolved. She was halfway through a section on sales tax when her deputy, Nazario Macías, managed to attract her attention. It was already 14:00, and she hadn't moved on to her plans for independence yet. She sighed and finished.
"... which I'm sure you will all agree; the devolution of sales tax powers would solve. Now, before I move on to how independence would work, the Kivasekian delegation would like to speak."
Noguera sat down, making way for one of the Kivasekian men to speak.
"Delegates," he began in accented English. "The Commune of Kivasek wholeheartedly supports the people of Aeluria in their desire for independence. The people of Aeluria wish for independence and it must be granted! Aeluria has the right to self-determination and has shown a clear wish for independence."
Once the Kivasekian had finished, Noguera stood once more. She didn't have long left, much to her annoyance.
"I recognise that issuing a unilateral declaration of independence was a mistake on my part, however I do believe we have a mandate for independence. Following what has happened, I believe we should have a binding referendum on independence, and if support is shown in that referendum, we should begin preparations for independence.
Perhaps it would not be wise to immediately declare independence in that case, however, and that we should have a transitionary period in which we would be able to negotiate with the Lauchenoirian government and other nations on how our relationship with them would continue. This would give an independent Aeluria a chance to have a smoother transition out of the Federation of Lauchenoiria.
I don't pretend that it will be easy. I know there will be problems, especially at first. But will these problems be any worse than those facing the mainland now, after this conflict? I don't believe so. A decade from now, I believe an independent Aeluria could flourish."
Noguera continued in the same manner, mentioning several times that she knew there would be problems, but never quite explicitly stating what they were. By the time she finished, everyone in the room was really looking forward to lunch.
16:00
"In an ideal world, everything," Noguera said in response. Well, he'd asked for honesty. Laura Moore snorted in response. "Realistically, though, we would like full devolution of social security, employment law, and we would like to be able to make trade deals with other nations."
"So you can stop relying on Lauchenoirian imports?" Moore said. "Trading with anywhere else means goods would be travelling further, and you rely on us for most food products, which need to be transported quickly."
"That would not be an issue with modern transportation and storage methods, Lauchenoiria imports food products from much further away without any trouble," Noguera countered.
"Luxury goods, which are not necessary, and which my government would have stopped, had we been allowed to continue our programme," Clarke interjected, "Aeluria relies on food imports for survival, as demonstrated by recent events."
"Recent events like you trying to starve our entire population to death, you mean?"
"Ladies, please try and keep the discussion civil," Smyth said.
"You have been asking for immigration powers for years, but the situation has not changed. We are not willing to grant them," Moore said, changing the subject rather abruptly.
"Did I mention immigration? No, I didn't, I know that's a non-starter," Noguera argued, voice raised.
"Ladies!" Smyth warned.
"Apologies," Noguera said. "I haven't heard objections from either of you over social security?"
The conversation continued, while both Moore and Clarke tried to goad Noguera into losing her temper. Laura Moore seemed virulently opposed to Aelurian independence, while Charissa Clarke in some ways seemed to find the idea less distasteful.
Both Clarke and Moore seemed to accept the idea of a preferendum, for different reasons. Moore's entire platform depended upon the idea of democracy as something good, and as such she couldn't very well oppose it. Clarke's motivations were less clear, although perhaps related to the fact that her grip on power in her faction was slipping, and it likely wouldn't be her problem by 2019 anyway.
Clarke and Moore remained opposed to any devolution of trade powers, while it seemed to be what Noguera wanted most. Social security was the main offer on the table. Clarke seemed willing to part with all employment powers, while Moore was more reluctant. Clarke found this rather amusing.
By the end of the session, Clarke seemed to be wavering on the idea of trade, while Moore still stubbornly refused to budge an inch. Noguera kept trying to extract everything she could, but all three women knew that, at the end of the day, some compromise would need to be made.
Charissa Clarke, still exhausted from a weekend of angry Kerlian voices yelling at her over the phone, using code words she barely remembered. She'd also seen the documents that Laura Moore had come into possession of. She knew that she shouldn't look, but... was that even her birth certificate? She didn't know. She pushed the thoughts out of her head, and began.
"I am aware of the... difficult history of Aeluria, and as such I recognise that at times the island has different needs to the rest of Lauchenoiria. Therefore, I do understand why further devolution may be necessary. The devolved governments of the island have in the past produced some policies which have later been adopted across the Federation, such as ground-breaking women's rights legislation..."
Laura Moore snorted with laughter, causing Clarke to pause and glare at her. True, mentioning gender probably wasn't her smartest move. But she was tired.
"... and I hope that further devolution will help the island to thrive further. I believe there is scope to devolve further powers in the areas of social security and employment. This would enable the island to..."
Clarke continued on, extolling the virtues of devolving these powers, and no more. It was no coincidence that these were areas where the Aelurians had a traditionally more left-wing outlook. She had to keep her Communist allies happy, of course. Especially if they were plotting against her once more, following the Kerlile allegations, which she was almost certain they were.
"However, all aspects of foreign policy simply must remain under Lauchenoirian control, particularly immigration. We all know of the anti-immigration policies put forward by the AIP that aim to increase their support and weaken democracy by restricting the voting rights of non-Aelurians living permanently on the island. We cannot allow these policies to be increased, if we want a democratic Aeluria."
Those on the Rebel side of the table were all smirking now as Clarke spoke of democracy, but she was past caring. She sat down.
"Thank you, Ms. Clarke. Ms. Moore?" Smyth said.
Laura Moore had slept well over the weekend. She had read every inch of Jae Chung's USB and she was utterly convinced that it meant defeat on Clarke's part.
"Aeluria has been requesting further powers all my life and before. They were treated very unfairly by the Villanueva regime, and as such it is completely understandable that they wish to protect their own interests. That being said, it is simply unreasonable to expect devolution of certain powers. The island depends on trade with the mainland, and as such needs to follow the same regulations in many areas..."
Moore continued to list all the ways in which one area having slightly different policies would make things exceptionally difficult, the rehearsed speech of someone who'd gone over the exact same thing in Parliament a hundred times over when AIP MPs asked questions.
"However, I recognise concessions will have to be made. And, though I loathe to say it, I agree with my... counterpart, Ms Clarke. While it would be disastrous to devolve any powers over trade and industry, social security is an area which probably should be devolved. I would also be open to discussing employment law.
In terms of a referendum on Aelurian independence, I am of the opinion that independence for Aeluria would be a disaster for the island, however I recognise their right to self-determination, and would be open to granting them a referendum."
As Laura Moore sat down, she noticed Clarke had raised an eyebrow at her, clearly waiting until their eyes met. Clarke seemed to be trying to tell her something, or perhaps just brag, but Moore wasn't sure. She ignored it.
"Ms Noguera?"
Keitha Noguera stood, surveying the room. Clarke had been less hostile than she had been anticipating, and Moore more so. Which brought them about even, in her eyes.
"Over the past century, there have been a number of conflicts between Aeluria and colonising powers. They will refuse us independence, tell us we are better off with them, and then proceed to strip us of power and oppress our population. I have seen this with my own eyes.
The Villanueva regime forced native islanders to send their children to mainland boarding schools. I was one of these children. When I returned to the island, the village I had grown up in was gone, destroyed by Lauchenoirian forces because islanders had objected to the communist regime. Nor did the Villanueva regime allow myself, or any other Aelurian, to choose a profession for ourselves. We were assigned jobs, a punishment for what they deemed the island's insolence.
So, when people ask me why I believe Aeluria should be independent, the answer is easy. Aeluria needs independence to protect Aelurians from such actions. The devolution of employment law and social security would of course be a helpful step, but if Lauchenoiria wants to make up for a century of oppression, they must go further.
I will concede that we do import a large amount of goods from mainland Lauchenoiria, but this is a result of the policies of the Lauchenoirian government in restricting our agricultural sector and forcing the island to rely on them. Lauchenoiria also restricts our trade with other nations, something the devolution of certain trade-related powers could solve..."
Noguera went on, listing almost every reserved power and stating why it should be devolved. She was halfway through a section on sales tax when her deputy, Nazario Macías, managed to attract her attention. It was already 14:00, and she hadn't moved on to her plans for independence yet. She sighed and finished.
"... which I'm sure you will all agree; the devolution of sales tax powers would solve. Now, before I move on to how independence would work, the Kivasekian delegation would like to speak."
Noguera sat down, making way for one of the Kivasekian men to speak.
"Delegates," he began in accented English. "The Commune of Kivasek wholeheartedly supports the people of Aeluria in their desire for independence. The people of Aeluria wish for independence and it must be granted! Aeluria has the right to self-determination and has shown a clear wish for independence."
Once the Kivasekian had finished, Noguera stood once more. She didn't have long left, much to her annoyance.
"I recognise that issuing a unilateral declaration of independence was a mistake on my part, however I do believe we have a mandate for independence. Following what has happened, I believe we should have a binding referendum on independence, and if support is shown in that referendum, we should begin preparations for independence.
Perhaps it would not be wise to immediately declare independence in that case, however, and that we should have a transitionary period in which we would be able to negotiate with the Lauchenoirian government and other nations on how our relationship with them would continue. This would give an independent Aeluria a chance to have a smoother transition out of the Federation of Lauchenoiria.
I don't pretend that it will be easy. I know there will be problems, especially at first. But will these problems be any worse than those facing the mainland now, after this conflict? I don't believe so. A decade from now, I believe an independent Aeluria could flourish."
Noguera continued in the same manner, mentioning several times that she knew there would be problems, but never quite explicitly stating what they were. By the time she finished, everyone in the room was really looking forward to lunch.
16:00
"In an ideal world, everything," Noguera said in response. Well, he'd asked for honesty. Laura Moore snorted in response. "Realistically, though, we would like full devolution of social security, employment law, and we would like to be able to make trade deals with other nations."
"So you can stop relying on Lauchenoirian imports?" Moore said. "Trading with anywhere else means goods would be travelling further, and you rely on us for most food products, which need to be transported quickly."
"That would not be an issue with modern transportation and storage methods, Lauchenoiria imports food products from much further away without any trouble," Noguera countered.
"Luxury goods, which are not necessary, and which my government would have stopped, had we been allowed to continue our programme," Clarke interjected, "Aeluria relies on food imports for survival, as demonstrated by recent events."
"Recent events like you trying to starve our entire population to death, you mean?"
"Ladies, please try and keep the discussion civil," Smyth said.
"You have been asking for immigration powers for years, but the situation has not changed. We are not willing to grant them," Moore said, changing the subject rather abruptly.
"Did I mention immigration? No, I didn't, I know that's a non-starter," Noguera argued, voice raised.
"Ladies!" Smyth warned.
"Apologies," Noguera said. "I haven't heard objections from either of you over social security?"
The conversation continued, while both Moore and Clarke tried to goad Noguera into losing her temper. Laura Moore seemed virulently opposed to Aelurian independence, while Charissa Clarke in some ways seemed to find the idea less distasteful.
Both Clarke and Moore seemed to accept the idea of a preferendum, for different reasons. Moore's entire platform depended upon the idea of democracy as something good, and as such she couldn't very well oppose it. Clarke's motivations were less clear, although perhaps related to the fact that her grip on power in her faction was slipping, and it likely wouldn't be her problem by 2019 anyway.
Clarke and Moore remained opposed to any devolution of trade powers, while it seemed to be what Noguera wanted most. Social security was the main offer on the table. Clarke seemed willing to part with all employment powers, while Moore was more reluctant. Clarke found this rather amusing.
By the end of the session, Clarke seemed to be wavering on the idea of trade, while Moore still stubbornly refused to budge an inch. Noguera kept trying to extract everything she could, but all three women knew that, at the end of the day, some compromise would need to be made.
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