It has been an honour and a pleasure to serve this region as MoRA. I'd like to continue in the post for another term. So, I hereby announce my candidacy for the position in the upcoming election.

I believe the role of the MoRA is two-fold: first, to ensure that the populace is aware of the activities of the government (primarily through the weekly Cabinet Reports, but also through the House of Commons) and second, to be an advocate for the rights and interests of citizens within Cabinet. I have endeavoured to act accordingly during my term in office, and will continue to do so, if re-elected.

I welcome any questions you may have.

Just a few questions:

What was your original motivation for running for office and why do you want to continue in this role?

What do you feel has been your greatest achievement as Minister of Regional Affairs? What areas of the ministry, if any, do you think need to be worked on?

What skills and experiences do you possess that make you suitable for this position?

The first time I ran for office I lost. I ran for Minister of Justice, against Micon. I became Minister of Regional Affairs by virtue of being Bweezy's deputy when he was temporarily suspended, and subsequently retired.

My motivation all along has been a desire to contribute something to the region. I like this place, and I enjoy getting my hands in and helping it to run smoothly.

I think our greatest collective achievement has been the recruiting campaign that brought our population from below 300 to nearly 500. But, I can only take credit for a small part of that. It was a group effort.

I don't think my approach to the position is really achievement-oriented. It's more of an on-going process. The most important part of that is the cabinet report. I'm pleased to say that they have been complete, accurate, and on-time.

As for what needs work, well Octopolis is right that RP is a little weak around here. I did hold a poll, not too long ago, to try to find out what kind of RP system people would like. The results were disappointing. Only 4 people voted. It just doesn't seem to interest most of the population. The MoRA needs to be responsive to what the community wants, which apparently is not RP. But it's a subject that I'd like to re-visit at some point. Of course people who are focussed on RP will probably not be voting for me in this election.

Another thing that is worth some attention is the large segment of the region that doesn't participate here. When Checkers was MoRA, she occasionally telegrammed the entire region about important events or issues -- for instance, when the constitution was being ratified. It would be a little harder to do, now that we've become so large, but it may be worth reviving that practice.

Communication skills are important. This position is all about communication. I believe I do that reasonably well.

Also, I'd like to think that I have been helpful to the rest of cabinet by making sure that we uphold the law. Even with the best intentions (and of those I have no doubt) sometimes mistakes happen. When they do, it is important to correct them. That's not strictly a function of this Ministry, but it is a role that I have tried to play within cabinet.

Thank you for answering my questions, Drunken Hosers. I appreciate the time and effort you put into it.

You are quite welcome. And thank you for helping to inform the electorate.

"advocate for the rights and interests of citizens within Cabinet"

Could you please explain what you consider those rights to be and how far will you go to represent what interests?

-The Jessician Times

There are a couple of different answers to that question. From the legal perspective, our constitution and body of laws define certain specific rights: the right to vote, the right to mediation in the event of a dispute, and so on. However, what I really meant by the statement goes beyond that.

The fundamental right of the citizen, in my view, is to equal treament under the law. In addition, I believe that government should uphold the principle of parsimony in its actions -- that is to say that legislation and other acts of government should impose the least possible burden on the citizen, subject of course to accomplishing the desired end.

There is no blanket answer to how far I would be prepared to go; it would depend on the circumstances. In an extreme case, I would most likely resign from government. I am certainly prepared to vote against legislation that is inconsistent with these principles. But, for the most part, our government works on a consensus basis. So, I would raise the concern, discuss it with the other members, and attempt to convince them.

Interests are somewhat more nebulous. I can only represent those interests that I am aware of. I try to gauge the interests of the citizen through what is discussed here. Citizens would also be welcome to bring matters to my attention, if they wanted representation on a specific issue. Of course, interests can be in conflict with each other, so the degree to which I would advocate any particular interest would again depend on the circumstances.

We thank you for your time and detailed explaination.

-The Jessician Times