Hutori

[RileyHP]

Royalists Launch 4694 Campaign

The Royalist Party launched its platform today for the upcoming elections this May. We have included their entire press release below.

For Immediate Release:



Today we are proud to announce our platform for re-election in the upcoming general elections. Over the last three and a half years, our government has worked hard to revitalize the Hutorian economy, create jobs and strengthen the Hutorian justice system. We realize that there is more work to be done, which is why we are proud to run on this platform, and build on a stronger Hutori.

In our bid to earn your trust once again, we are putting forward our three top priorities that we promise to complete in our first year.

We will have the Auditor General complete a full budget audit.

It has been more than a century since a Hutorian government has had a complete budget audit done. We are committed to ensuring that Hutorians know how their money is spent. Our first act in the new parliament will be asking the Auditor General for a complete budget audit. We will act on any and all recommendations made by the Auditor General.

We will begin a naval modernization process.

Our men and women in uniform deserve the best equipment possible to defend our nation. Our ships have been aging for decades and many need to be replaced as soon as possible. A nation is only as strong as it's defense, and with that in mind, a second term Royalist government will begin the process of overhauling and modernizing our naval fleet.

Taking Hutori back to space.

For centuries our space program has been ignored. We have some of the best and brightest scientists on Terra, and their research will be crucial in making Hutori a leader in space exploration once again. We have already begun the process of revitalizing our space program. In our latest budget, we committed fifty billion Lira per year to the Space Exploration and Research Agency. We pledge to send a manned rocket to the lunar surface in the first year of our second term. We are committed to space research and exploration.

It has been an honour and a privilege to govern this nation for the last three and a half years. We look forward to continuing to build upon this stronger Hutori. We humbly ask for your support.


Rt. Hon. Daniel MacKenzie
President of the Commonwealth of Hutori

Rt. Hon. Caroline Mulligan
Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Hutori

[colonelvesica]

Hutorian Broadcasting Channel
Power Panel with Simon Evans


Host Simon Evans speaking with, then, Minister of Justice Jonathan Stone

With the House of Parliament rising and the end of the 41st Parliament of the Commonwealth upon us, the lead up to next year’s 4694 election have begun. As of right now there are three parties vying for power in Bekenial. This special edition of the Power Panel will discuss the run up for the election and ask critical questions about the parties, their platforms, and what their odds are going into the next election.

We are joined here tonight on the Power Panel by Patrick O’Connell, our resident polling expert, Jake Lexington, Vice President of Strategy with Lex Solutions, a political strategist firm, and Desiree Gardner, a former Royalist MP, Environment Minister and current Chancellor at the Leah Ross College of Political Science. Thank you for joining me.

So first the lay of the land, this was a very interesting Parliament, a Royalist Majority Mandate, which as we know in Hutori are exceedingly rare. Patrick.

Patrick O'Connell: That is indeed correct. We should ignore the fact of course that this was only a two-party race in the last election, so a Majority was going to happen regardless, but only a handful of parties have succeeded in obtaining Majority Mandates in the past several centuries and only one, the Atarxian Confederation succeeded in a multi-Party election. Mind you the AC Government lasted just under a year after they came under constant and never-ending protests for their attempt at dismantling the Hutorian Armed Forces, but the point is ultimately that Hutorians generally don’t do majorities.

Simon Evans: Well were they successful?

Desiree Gardener: By any definition of the word I would say yes. The Prime Minister was able to push through an ambitious agenda, no promises were left unsaid or unheeded, and the Opposition The One Party proved to go along with them most of the time. If anything I would argue that she cruised through this term relatively easily, without needing to be accountable.

Jake Lexington: That’s something I have an issue with. There was no accountability, there was no alternative. The lack of opposition to the Prime Minister’s Agenda meant that some changes were made that not only Hutorians were happy about. The massive overhaul to the Hutorian Health and Education systems, by making the federal government no longer responsible for them, or in the case of Healthcare, effectively privatizing the entire system. There were people that were not happy about it. Which I think is the only reason the National Progress Union has risen, it’s a reaction to the Prime Minister.

Evans: So then let’s turn to the Opposition and this newest Party, the NPU, what are the thoughts?

O’Connell: The One Party, is an evolution from the older Party of National Rebirth. They are actually arguably to the right of the governing Royalists, though they believe in a strong central government, there has been more then once they’ve been accused of being fascist, though they have, while they were in government, always been held in check by more moderate Parties, the Royalists for example or the old Liberal Party. The problem, which is a double edged sword, is that the Royalists, prior to their merging with the Liberals, were always going for the same pool of voters. In the last election, all the formerly left leaning voters either stayed home or voted Royalist to keep the One Party out of power. The National Progress Union on the other appears to be the natural Hutorian political reaction; when there isn’t someone with your voice, you make one.

Lexington: The One Party and this current version of the Royalists are effectively opposite sides of the same coin. The National Progress Union by comparison is giving left leaning Hutorians a real alternative, which I think will see the Royalists punished. After Woodbury and the Liberal Caucus were widely pushed out, the Royalists embraced right wing ideology. With a real left leaning voice, those former Liberals are likely going to go the NPU en masse, which will leave the Royalists stuck between the One and the NPU. Let us not forget either, Hutorian may tolerate Centre-Right coalitions, but there have been more left leaning governments in Hutorian history and generally speaking even right leaning coalition have to have a moderating voice in them.

Gardner: When it was known as the PNR, the One party was indeed always kept in check by the Royalists, specifically the Liberal caucus of the Royalists. The PNR has egg on it’s face more then once after it tried to ram things through Parliament without checking with the Royalists first, and both the Liberal and Conservative caucuses enjoyed reminding them they were in a Coalition not a dictatorship. I think the history of the PNR is exactly why the Royalists obtained the strong majority they did, not just because left leaning voters has no where to go, but they were scared to see what a Party like that would do with a majority. The NPU is still an unproven quantity, though it’s true they are representing the former liberal wing of the Royalists and the former members of the Socialist Front. I know they’ll make an impact, but at this point who can say how big.

Evans: Alright let’s move onto the big picture then. Based on current trends how do we see the election going?

O’Connell: That is indeed the one hundred million Lira question. The Royalists are still polling quite well, they have majorities in every province and will likely hold onto several, but there is 1,000 years of precedence working against them; plain and simple Hutori does not do back to back majorities in multi party elections.

Lexington: Without the Liberal wing supporting the Royalists I think the NPU gets a plurality, and probably wins the Presidency, in which case we'll see a much more active President then in recent years.

Gardner: I think the Royalists can maintain power again, with the One Party supporting a rightist coalition, but their majority I have to admit is a thing of the past.

Evans: Thanks for coming in, we'll be looking forward to the coming election.

[RileyHP]

Foreign Minister Runs for President


Foreign Minister Tom Anderson holds a rally to kick off his Presidential campaign.

After the announcement that President Daniel MacKenzie will be retiring from politics at the end of this term, Foreign Minister Tom Anderson was announced as the Royalist candidate to replace him. Anderson held a campaign rally this week to officially kick off his campaign in his hometown of Woodhurst. Organizers claimed an attendance of more than 30,000.

Anderson says he plans to continue MacKenzie's hands off approach to government, which has been popular among Hutorians. Hutorians want parliament to make the decisions, and MacKenzie has refused to get in the way of any decision making and serves as a ceremonial President. Anderson pledges to do the same.

[RileyHP]

Mulligan Resigns After Dismal Election Results


Mulligan speaks with reporters after giving her concession speech.

Prime Minister Caroline Mulligan has just announced she is resigning as Prime Minister and Leader of the Royalist Party effective immediately. This comes after her party had their caucus cut in more than half and falling to third party in parliament. It was always going to be tough to win a second majority mandate, it hasn't happened for any party in a thousand years. However it was widely assumed the Royalists would still walk away with a plurality. Mulligan spoke to supporters at the Royalist election night party in Port Prosperity where she made the announcement.

"Over the last 4 years we have worked hard to build a stronger Hutori. I am proud of the work we have done and I don't have any regrets. With that being said, tonight didn't go as planned. I want to congratulate President-Elect Antony on his victory tonight, and congratulate all of the newly elected MPs of all stripes who will make their way to Bekenial for the first time. Unfortunately 232 Royalist MPs won't be returning to Bekenial. As leader the buck stops with me. I take full responsibility for the disappointing results we see tonight. I cannot in good conscience continue to lead this party or the government, so effective immediately I am resigning as Leader of this great party, and as Prime Minister of this incredible nation. Thank you to everyone who cast their vote for us today and thank you to all of the volunteers and staff who put in countless hours over the course of this campaign. Our party will still have a strong voice in this parliament, and I know my successor will ensure that the nearly 15 million people who voted for us have their voices heard, and that this party continues to be a part of creating a stronger Hutori."

Mulligan spoke briefly with reporters after her speech.

Q: Your party has been very vocally anti-socialist throughout its history, most recently voting down all but one of the bills put forward by the NPU. Is it safe to say we will see another Royalist-One Party coalition?

"We haven't thought about that yet, and that ultimately will be decided by my successor and the caucus as a whole. We are open to hearing from both the One Party and the National Progressive Union to see what they are going to bring to the table. Our party's first priority is electing a new leader and then we will talk with the other parties."

Q: What would you say was the reason for the results we've seen tonight?

"I don't think there is a single thing that can be pointed to as the reason we lost tonight. However we will be doing a complete review of our campaign to see exactly what went wrong so that we can learn from those mistakes."

Q: Consecutive majority mandates are a rarity in this country, did your party truly believe it could be the first in a millennium to pull it off?

"We knew it was going to be a challenge, but we did believe it was possible. No party goes into an election expecting to lose. We worked hard over the last 4 years to build our vision of a stronger Hutori. We thought that our ambitious platform promises would be enough to win over Hutorians and earn a second majority mandate. Unfortunately that didn't happen."

Q: Last question, you mentioned your party's platform, is there anything specific from it that you would say is non-negotiable in a coalition?

"Like I said before those decisions will be up to the next leader and the caucus, however I believe we are all in agreement that a complete budget audit is an absolute must. Hutorians deserve to know exactly how their money is spent, and we want to be able to root out wasteful spending, and of course top up any departments that may be lacking necessary funding."

[Desmond_W]

Progressives, McCahey Celebrate Victory and Look Toward Future

In the wake of the stunning 4694 election results that left the brand new "National Progressive Union" party with a plurality in the Hutori Parliament, liberals and progressives across the country have erupted into celebration. Students in peacefull marches on college campuses in Lagard -- ostensibly the birthplace of the movement that created this party -- hold signs that read "A Progressive Future Awaits" and "The Left Has Returned". However, this victory was not as thorough as some may have wanted. While the NPU claimed a plurality, they did not win an outright majority, gaining few seats in the conservative provinces of Kenai and Adelia. Additionally, their candidate for President -- Elizabeth Messimer -- looked poised to win in the first round of voting, but lost after Royalist support was thrown behind now President-elect Balthazar Antony of The One Party of Hutori.

"Today was a good day for Hutori", Party Leader Charles McCahey said in a prepared speech at NPU headquarters in Aylesbury, Lagard. "First came the job of mobilizing. Now comes the job of legislating."


Leader Charles McCahey speaking at NPU Headquarters in Aylesbury.

When asked by HBC reporters on the NPU's plans to ask one of the other two parties to join them in a coalition government, Party Spokesperson Vanessa Tennison said "Those talks will hopefully be starting tomorrow, when the excitement over the election results has subsided. The National Progressives -- like most reasonable Hutorians -- are fundamentally opposed to the xenophobia and scare tactics of the One Party. As a result, there are no plans from party leadership to reach out to them about a coalition. However, Leader McCahey hopes to find enough common ground with the Royalist Party of Hutori to establish a majority government". Notably, in a string of legislation proposed by McCahey on behalf of the NPU prior to the election that swept them into a plurality, the Royalists opposed all but one of the NPU's reforms, a measure on regulating child labor. The One Party opposed all such reforms.

[RileyHP]

Royalists Elect New Leader

At a convention in Acton last weekend, members of the Royalist Party elected longtime Finance Minister Gerald Pettipas as their next leader.


Pettipas celebrates on stage after the result was announced.

Pettipas defeated competitors Linda Glover and Cameron Wyman in a race that gave every electoral district equal voice. Each riding was worth 100 points, for a total of 64,500, a candidate needed 32,251 points to win. Points were awarded based on the percentage of the vote the candidate received in each riding. The results of both rounds are listed below. The percentage listed is the percent of the overall popular vote each candidate received.

Round 1
Pettipas - 29,179 (46.1%)
Glover - 23,562 (35.9%)
Wyman - 11.759 (18.0%)

Round 2
Pettipas - 38,669 (62.4%)
Glover - 25,831 (37.6%)

With Pettipas now at the helm of the party, it is likely that coalition talks will begin with the other 2 parties in parliament. Insiders are reporting that the National Progressive Union has already begun negotiations with the Royalists, though neither party would confirm.

[Desmond_W]

Coalition Government Formed Between NPU and RPH

In a likely end to an otherwise surprising election cycle, the emergent National Progressive Union — now the largest party in Hutori’s Parliament — has brokered a deal with the established Royalist Party of Hutori to form a coalition government. While a coalition which included the Royalists was all but guaranteed, pundits have been speculating for days as to whether they would agree to a union with the left-wing Progressives, or with the far-right One Party.

The eventual agreement between new Royalist leader Gerald Pettipas and Progressive leader Charles McCahey sealed the deal without much apparent lost standing for the Royalists — and named the latter, until recently a respected and outspoken economics Professor — the most powerful person in the nation.

The Royalists were given half of the available cabinet positions, including senior roles such as Minister of Finance and Defence. Additionally, anonymous sources within both parties hinted at a mutual concession of legislative priorities to move specific policies forward. While this union appears stronger than some might have expected for two parties at ideological odds so often, only time will tell of the coalition remains strong through the next four years.

[RileyHP]

Navy Begins Modernization Process


Defence Minister Stan Eisenhower speaks at a ceremony to officially re-open the Axminster Naval Yards. The facility will be used as part of the replacement and modernization of Hutori's Bekenial Class frigate fleet.

Today the Hutorian Royal Navy officially launched its Bekenial Class frigate fleet modernization process at a ceremony at the Axminster Naval Yards. The project will see 20 ships replaced by new vessels, and the other 20 equipped with the latest technology. The project will be taken on by Prosperity Ironworks and will use both the Axminster Naval Yards, and PI's facility in Port Prosperity. Defence Minister Stan Eisenhower was on hand to cut the ribbon and give a speech. Eisenhower reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensuring the Hutorian Armed Forces are given the absolute best tools to defend the nation.

"Hutori is the greatest nation on Terra, and our government knows that it must be defended. That is why we are committed to giving our service members the best technology and tools to defend this great nation."

Rear Admiral Donald Fiske, the head of naval procurement, was on hand to take questions from reporters about the modernization process.

"The process will take 30 years, and should be completed by 4725. It will take about 20 years to replace our 20 oldest vessels in the Bekenial Class fleet, and then another 10 years to modernize the remaining 20 ships. The navy is committed to ensuring this project stays on-time and on budget. We're proud to have Prosperity Ironworks on board for this massive project, we've always had a great working relationship with them and they have yet to let us down."

[Adithya]

Liberal Party founded



Susan Clarke,Leader of the Liberal party

The Liberal Party of Hutori is the newest political party in the country.The party is led by Susan Clarke,a well known civil rights attorney.She stated that the party will seek to 'champion liberal values' and that her party will support policies which seek to 'maximize individual and economic liberty while also supporting a strong welfare state which will provide high quality education,healthcare and infrastructure for all citizens',The party has made scrapping the tuition fees its top priority so as to 'ensure equal access to higher education for everyone'.She also stated that her party will support a 'non interventionist foreign policy which would give importance to human rights'.

[Desmond_W]

With Impending Failure of Healthcare Coverage Bill, Coalition Honeymoon Comes to an End
Written by Juliet Leeds, Political Correspondent

With the MPs of the One Party and the Royalist Party pledged to vote Nay on the Nationwide Healthcare Coverage Act, the period of close cooperation and legislative alignment between the co-ruling Royalists and Prime Minister McCahey's own National Progressive Union has come to a close. For the first year of the ambitious partnership between the center-right Royalists and the left-wing Progressives, legislative priorities from both sides passed with ease. These included the naval modernization long championed by the Royalists, as well as legislation putting national loan protections in place and formally acknowledging climate change as a serious issue -- two cornerstones of the Progressive platform. The Loan Protection Act was especially surprising given that an identical version of the bill failed unanimously in the year prior to the 4694 election, while an apparently deliberate abstention by Royalist MPs allowed this version to pass.

The Coverage Act, which would have established the "Hutori Health Plan" as a universal public payer, was reportedly forced to a vote by members of the Progressive Caucus within the NPU. While Prime Minister McCahey has thus far been able to effectively juggle the demands of a more liberal base with the practical progress achievable through a center-right coalition government, that political calculus has found its limit. While the coalition government currently shows no signs of serious deterioration, commentators have speculated how the circumstances surrounding the failure of the Coverage Act might inform the post-election negotiations of 4698, as well as the cohesiveness of the NPU's two ideological caucuses given the rise of a center-left alternative in the Liberal Party.