Hutori

[colonelvesica]

Conservative Campaign in Overdrive

With only two months until the December elections the Conservatives have been going into overdrive to push their agenda forward as Hutori prepares for the most crowded elections in over 300 years. For the first time since the 36th century 8 active political parties will be participating in the December Federal Elections. While the left is most definitely the most crowded, featuring five distinct political parties, the right has three of their own and the Conservatives are attempting to present themselves as the best choice to represent the conservative monarchist agenda in a Parliament increasingly filled with left wing socialists and republicans.


Foreign Affairs Minister and Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party Jessica PIckermin

The top members of the Conservative Party including Alexander Woodbury, Jessica Pickermin, Andrew Murphy, Michael Hellier and others have been travelling across Hutori in a final bid to get the Conservative's message across. Yesterday Woodbury was at HFB Acton, one of the largest military bases in Hutori addressing troops and supporters. The Conservative Party has long been seen as the military strongest ally in Parliament, and one of the largest portions of the Conservative's voting base actually are serving members of the Hutorian Armed Forces. Woodbury's own son Cedric, serves as an Officer in the Army' Armoured Corps.


Alexander Woodbury at HFB Acton.

[Roman]

Goldsmith attacks the Morality and Prayer in Education Acts



Prime Minister Robin Goldsmith has attack the proposed Morality Act and the Prayer in Education Acts in a recent TV interview, branding them as 'religious propaganda' and 'state censorship'. The attack comes as the bills are proposed to the floor of parliament by the Hutori Republican Alliance, Goldsmith is known for his anti-religious stance and has often been called out on it by the more religious parts of society.

[colonelvesica]

New Defence Minister Makes Large Announcement at HFB Acton


Defence Minister Alexander Woodbury Giving a speech at Hutorian Forces Base Acton

Newly appointed Defence Minister and Conservative Leader Alexander Woodbury made a stop at HFB Acton, Hutori's largest military base, to announce a new defence initiative that the Ministry of Defence will be launching in the next few months. A massive rearmament and modernization program of the Hutorian Armed Forces has begun with a planned 150 billion to be spent over the next 10 years with the plan ultimately to see the Hutorian Armed Forces revived as one of the most prominent forces in the northern hemisphere.

Apparently the Defence Minister is putting his money where his mouth is as a current budget proposal in front of Parliament which would see a 40 billion HLR increase to the Defence budget, which over 10 years would be more then enough to completely pay the proposed upgrades and sustain current troop levels.

The Hutorian Armed Forces have been in a massive decline after years of neglect by previous administrations and constant budget cuts in recent years. Its hoped with the Conservative Party at the helm of the Finance and Defence Ministries and a pro-military Prime Minister in 24 Orange the Hutorian military will soon be back to its former glory.

Defence Minister Woodbury also took the time to announce that he has appointed a new Chief of the Defence Staff, former Chief of the Air Staff General Mitchell LaFromboise.


Air Force General Mitchell LaFromboise, Chief of the Hutorian Defence Staff

[Roman]

Prime Minister Goldsmith Assassinated

Prime Minister Robin Goldsmith has been shot and killed at a public rally in the capital, the event had been planned by an ecological magazine to promote green alternatives, Goldsmith had previously written for the magazine some years ago. The shooter is believed to be a 31 year old religious man who before shooting Goldsmith shouted 'you must be cleansed of sins', he is believed to have been referring to Goldsmith's opposition to the Morality and Prayer Acts, and his long history of being 'anti-religion'.



Alexander Woodbury, the Conservative leader, has taken up the position of interim Prime Minister, until a leadership election can be organised for the APR. Janice Parker has become the deputy leader of the APR and is widely expected to run. A memorial service will be held for Goldsmith in two weeks time and the private funeral is expected to take place in a month or so.

[Roman]

Janice Parker Elected Leader of the APR

Janice Parker was elected leader of the Alliance for Progress and Renewal at it's May Conference in the capital four months after the assassination of Robin Goldsmith, the party has been in mourning for several months but that did not deter the party from pushing forward their manifesto pledges. Parker was in competition for the top job with Christopher Wood, a newly elected MP for the party, who claims to have only contested the election to help spark debate about the party's future.



Parker is more radical than Goldsmith and will likely shift the party more to the right economically and centre the party socially. In a recent speech she claimed 'society shouldn't be left to run riot with people doing what they want, we could end up with all sorts of weirdos', the comments were taken as an attack on the LGBTQ community, although her press office claimed it was 'an off-hand comment, taken out of context'.

[colonelvesica]

PRIME MINISTER GOLDSMITH'S SHOOTER IN CUSTODY


Members of the Hutorian Federal Police Service with Terror Suspect in custody.

Chief Superintendent Carl Lowe, Chief of HFPS's Adelia Division, has announced that early this morning members of the HFPS's elite counter terrorism unit, the Special Emergency Response Team, has successfully apprehended a suspect at a run down Bekenial slum and took him into custody to a classified location for questioning and detainment. The suspect is believed to be the shooter responsible for the assassination of Prime Minister Robin Goldsmith. All details about the suspect are currently being deemed classified and sensitive due to the nature of the case, however it is known that he was a member of a extremist Ahmadi sect and cell that was planning further acts of terror against the Kingdom of Hutori. While further details haven't been forth coming Lowe did reveal that the rest of the cell has apparently been "taken care of" either arrested, or in one case, the suspect lost a shoot out with the SERT squad that was attempting to apprehend him.

The arrest of the shooter was the climax for three months of investigations that was ordered by Alexander Woodbury during his tenure as Acting Prime Minister. Minister Woodbury's Office and his Chief of Staff Garry Wilson were unavailable for comment.

[colonelvesica]

HMHS Kenai On Manoeuvres



For the first time in decades the HMHS Kenai, Hutori's only remaining and functional aircraft carrier, has set sail from her home port in Port Prosperity along with portions of the Eastern Fleet, the Royal Hutorian Navy's most largest and most powerful naval force. A statement released from the Ministry of Defence has stated the Kenai's is going into work-ups with the rest of the fleet to get her back to battle ready conditions, not in response to any particular issue.

This marks the first time in decades that the Hutorian Navy has been seen outside her territorial waters as the Kenai and her escorts went out into international waters. The Kenai is expected to remain at sea for up to two weeks the first time to begin her work ups, while the rest of the escort fleet do the same. The Kenai was escorted by four Bekenial class Frigates, a Mashacara class Destroyer and two Sutton class Coastal Defence Vessels.

[colonelvesica]

Woodbury Resigns as Conservative Leader

Following the dismal showing for Hutori's Conservative Party Alexander Woodbury has resigned as its Leader and from his Cabinet position as Minister of Defence. Woodbury was one of the 8 losses the Conservatives sustained in the recent September elections, all of whom were in Adelia, formerly seen as the Conservative Party's primary stronghold. Woodbury fought a fierce campaign against a challenger from the Hutori National Party, ultimately losing by 27 votes, confirmed after two recounts.


Alexander Woodbury at a Press Conference announcing his retirement and reassignment.

At a small conference at the Adelia Grand Hotel, Woodbury thanked his supporters for their years of support in both him and the Conservative Party of Hutori and promised that the Conservative Party of Hutori would return greater then ever.

Woodbury was one of the few remaining "Congressional Guard" former members of Congress that were elected to the House of Commons after the Second Royal Restoration in 3881. He was originally the Minister of Foreign Affairs under President Thomas Morrow and helped spearhead the eventual ascension of King William III to the throne. He also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Walker Cabinet, and Defence Minister in the Goldsmith and Parker Cabinets. Woodbury was known as a man who held strong convictions about his conservative principles and was personally well like and respected by most other parties in Parliament.

He has been succeeded by Adam Wright, the Conservative Party House Leader, on a interim basis while the Conservatives finish their own internal leadership race, currently locked primarily between Dr. John Nelson, the Conservative Party's Health and Social Services Critic, Michael Hellier, the former Conservative Defence Minister in the Walker Cabinets, and Jessica Pickermin, the current Foreign Affairs Minister and believed to be the next Minister of Defence. Pickermin is expected to the be the wide frontrunner, being a former protege of Woodbury's personally, serving as his Deputy Leader, along with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Artanian Affairs during his time as FA Minister and later his successor in the Department.

Woodbury's hand in allowing the House of Steuart-Adelia becoming the ruling Monarches of Hutori hasn't been lost on the Royal Family with King William himself stating "Hutori has lost one its finest politicians, and we wish him all the best." While the Royal Family is officially politically neutral, the Woodbury family is known to be personally close and friendly with the Royal Family; Crown Prince Henry and Woodbury's son Cedric serve in the same unit in the Royal Army.

[colonelvesica]

CPH PREPARES FOR AGGRESSIVE PARLIAMENTARY SESSION

After a competitive Leadership election Jessica Pickermin emerged victorious taking on the mantle of Leader of the Conservative Party of Hutori even as she take over the Defence Portfolio in the new Parker Government.

Pickermin has already promised that she will continue Alexander Woodbury's legacy and continue his modernization and expansion program of the Armed Forces he began before his retirement. Before he retired Woodbury has begun the first steps at massively upgrading the Hutorian Armed Forces, including concluding the decades old purchase of retiring and replacing the entire fleet of H-1 Knight tanks (OOC: Challenger 1) with imported and upgraded Leopard 2 tanks from Dorvik. The Leopard 2H6E was a customized job done exclusively for the Royal Army of Hutori with specific modifications as requested by the Hutorian Minstry of Defence. First began during the tenure of Woodbury as FA Minister and overseen by Defence Minister Derek Carter it was finally concluded with the final shipment of tanks to the last required Brigades finally fully finishing the upgrade. The next step is widely believed to be the procurement of new aircraft for the Royal Air Force, including a new Air Superiority Fighter, tactical ground attack aircraft among others. The Fighter in question is widely believed to the Unionfighter of Artanian Union fame to replace the HF-17 Vultures of the Air Force. Well current rumours on the Navy are still scarce, its known that the Royal Navy plans on building at least two new Aircraft Carriers to replace or at least supplement the HMHS-Kenai along with new Carrier Fighters to equip them with.


New Conservative Leader and Defence Minister Jessica Pickermin

However even as Pickermin settles in to her new job Adam Wright, the Conservative Party's House Leader, has promised that the Conservative Party plans on maintaining current plans on the domestic front to continue the job of streamlining the budget, and cutting waste. At the top of the agenda is the highly controversial Living Income Supplment and the Universal Child Benefit, two of the most bloated and massively expensive social programs that have been on the books since the Liberal League came to power in 3881. The two programs have been panned for years by the Conservatives for leading to a society of "grasshoppers" and for never giving a direct answer on how much money each child and adult actually get under the two programs.


Conservative Party House Leader and Deputy Leader Adam Wright during Question Period

Wright has been known for years for being Woodbury's attack dog in Parliament, similar to the way Andrew Murphy was Morrow's. If anyone is capable of keeping the Minister of Health and Social Services accountable and getting the answer's his caucus wants, he'll be the one.

[Choice Party]

NEW Choice?

That's right, following poor election results and the resignation of party leader Barry Farron, the new party leader Patrick Dale who was a cabinet member in the previous parliament is shifting the party in a new direction. Under Dale, "New Choice" as it's being called will be bringing out its liberal policies mostly with things such as their more isolationist views being put in the side-lines. However the party is still committed to at least a lot of the socialistic policies still.