[PRIVATE] Cabinet For Term X

[Josephus I]

The cabinet room features a long board room table with plush leather chairs arranged around it. All Ministers enter through one door, but the president enters from a back door leading directly to his office. Josephus enters last and greets those around him.

Greetings. So let's begin. We should start discussing items of importance we wish to bring up to the Assembly.

To start, I'd like to know of anything in particular each Minister wants to bring to the table from his or her own ministry.

Second, I'd like to start work on a budget immediately. I'd like all of us, but especially Per Gonzov as MERL to look at our current budget, and the one introduced by Langley as a starting point and decide how to move from there in accordance with keeping our promise of cutting back military spending, or at worst freezing it at its current level and increasing health care spending.

I'm going to do something novel this term. I'm going to introduce a Budget Steering Committee. It will be chaired by myself and co-chaired by Gonzov. Members will include all Cabinet ministers PLUS one member each from UMP and CUE. I'll send invitations to the party leaders to send someone.

My reasoning for this is twofold. One: We appear, at least, to be listening to a broad range of viewpoints. And Two: I want to present a budget that can stand a chance of passing through the Assembly. If the CUE and UMP reps are happy with their contributions, we stand a chance. Otherwise they'll negate it as a matter of course.

Gonzov and myself will have the final say, but we will listen to all reasonable arguments.


Josephus

 

[unmerged(27050)]

Well, I was thinking about the service chiefs for our military. I would like to see General Marcus Levarge as chief of army. His record is spotless, and he has combat experience.

I think Captain Tulp would be a good choice for chief of the navy as well.

If you choose to select Levarge as chief of Army, someone would have to take charge of ENDTech. Barak Mofaz would be my first choice.

 

[Josephus I]

Bob. I have actually already been talking with Levarge on some other matters. And the subject of making him Service Chief came up. I have looked at his record and I am in agreement with your decision.

I submit to your decision on the other two. I don't know them as well. But if you think they are the right people, then sure, go ahead.

Josephus

 

[unmerged(23409)]

Good, good. But I think the CUE and the UMP won't send a member, but that's their problem.

 

[Josephus I]

Well, I haven't heard from CUE yet, but UMP is playing hardball.

Anyways, one other thing I need to mention:

I need to appoint two members to the Council of State, as follows:

(c) Two federal Ministers appointed to the Council by the President.

I'm thinking one each from ESA and P4P. Gonzov and Austri, perhaps?

Josephus

 

[unmerged(23409)]

Sure.

 

[unmerged(33865)]

Anyways, one other thing I need to mention:

I need to appoint two members to the Council of State, as follows:

(c) Two federal Ministers appointed to the Council by the President.

I'm thinking one each from ESA and P4P. Gonzov and Austri, perhaps?

Josephus

One of the duties of the council of state is to act in case of Presidential incapacity. Therefore, having the VP on it could be a problem if he suceeded you, which none of us want. Even so, it would seem to be better to either pick two ESA ministers or substitute my name for your VP's.

 

[Josephus I]

Good point Loic.

Let's go with Gonzov and Loic then.

Josephus

 

[unmerged(23409)]

I think we should put Foigeres on there then, to equally represent the PFP.

 

[unmerged(27050)]

What about the Vilms investigation? Should we just continue from where Vasquez left off?

 

[unmerged(23409)]

Bring it up with the Tilapia, see what they've found.

Could you also get on the phone to the Bermudans to see where Marine is?

 

[unmerged(27050)]

Marine? The one who ran off with all the ENDTech cash?

 

[unmerged(23409)]

He did? This is all I know:

CONTROVERSIAL POLITICIAN MISSING

After two weeks’ worth of newspapers piled up in front of his house and none of the the local pubs had reported seeing him in a month, authorities were contacted to search the home of Unity Party General Assemblyper Mike Marine.

No trace of Marine, who had been a leading political figure in Buen Puerto prior to the national separation of provinces under President Gall, could be found in his home, but there were clues to suggest he had made a quick exit.

While food remained in the kitchen, no luggage was found anywhere in the house, and several open and empty drawers, and hangers on the floor suggest that many of his clothes were missing as well.

A search of the trash found several travel brochures for the Caribean, and a discarded print out of his e-mail seemed to suggest a strong interest in Bermuda.

Also found were many ripped up floor boards and a hole under his bed that revealed a hidden niche that was full of only empty sacks and one bottle of beer with a cryptic note:

”You didn’t look hard enough! Enjoy the beer, this time with my permission!” - M. Marine .

There is no record of Marine leaving the country, but Marine frequently crossed over the border into Tilapia with little record of his visits.

 

[unmerged(27050)]

Hrm.. must of had a name mixed up somewhere.

Why exactly do we need to know where he is? Unless he did something illegal, I didn't think there was anything the government could do. It doesn't appear to be a kiddnapping.

 

[unmerged(23409)]

It might, we can't take that chance. I'll get Josephus to contact Tilapia to see if he came over the borders, and also contact Bermuda to see if he's there.

 

[Cecasander]

Probably becourse it might be convenient for us to know the wherabouts of people that might be 'lost' otherwise? Like mister Marine?

 

[unmerged(27050)]

Well, his sudden departure is a little suspicious to say the least... I'm looking forward to finding out just what happened.

 

[unmerged(33865)]

I going through PJ's files on these matters at present, and hope to have a meeting with him about all pending matters, certainly including the Marine and Vilms investigations. Pursuing those, which reach out of our territory, will need to involve the MTIA.

I would suggest that MESA may want to launch an immediate scientific investigation into reason the deoxygenation of the Konigsëe.

I may have said this before privately, but I want to bring it up before the cabinet. I think we should try to organize a trilateral meeting with St. Esprit and Tilapia about the respective sizes of our armed forces. If we all agree to keep them small, it will save us all money. That could be aided by a mutual defense treaty, which could be limited to island (if one country attacks another, then the third must help defend the country that was attacked) or a more general defense pact (if any of the three nations is attacked by an overseas power, both of the other nations will help defend it). I would envisage having two working sessions, one, with defense ministers or senior military officials, on force levels, and the other, on defense treaties with the foreign ministers or heads of government. I would suggest holding them here, because it is centrally located, but in the St. Esprit and Tilapian embassies, to give them a sense of ownership in the process. Best of all, we don't need the GA to approve this.

Speaking of approving things, I would suggest that we should join CAFTA by ratifying the treaty. Per President, you can do that on your own, or you could 'ask' the GA to approve if you wanted. Presumably, Talbott would favor it.

 

[Josephus I]

I would suggest that MESA may want to launch an immediate scientific investigation into reason the deoxygenation of the Konigsëe.

Absolutely. Let's find out what's going on there.

I may have said this before privately, but I want to bring it up before the cabinet. I think we should try to organize a trilateral meeting with St. Esprit and Tilapia about the respective sizes of our armed forces. If we all agree to keep them small, it will save us all money. That could be aided by a mutual defense treaty, which could be limited to island (if one country attacks another, then the third must help defend the country that was attacked) or a more general defense pact (if any of the three nations is attacked by an overseas power, both of the other nations will help defend it). I would envisage having two working sessions, one, with defense ministers or senior military officials, on force levels, and the other, on defense treaties with the foreign ministers or heads of government. I would suggest holding them here, because it is centrally located, but in the St. Esprit and Tilapian embassies, to give them a sense of ownership in the process. Best of all, we don't need the GA to approve this.

Yes. I will have discussions with both Tilapia and St. Esprit as an introduction and then bring in Per Austri. I like the idea of a general defence pact.

Speaking of approving things, I would suggest that we should join CAFTA by ratifying the treaty. Per President, you can do that on your own, or you could 'ask' the GA to approve if you wanted. Presumably, Talbott would favor it.

Can I do that on my own? I mean, I have no problem asking the GA. I didn't know I can sign treaties on my own, though? Also, fill me in on this. Didn't one of the two countries not ratify CAFTA?

Josephus

 

[unmerged(33865)]

Can I do that on my own? I mean, I have no problem asking the GA. I didn't know I can sign treaties on my own, though? Also, fill me in on this. Didn't one of the two countries not ratify CAFTA?

Josephus

Yes, you can do it on your own. We are a bit late, so St. Esprit would have to approve our joining, but I am sure they would. The former president didn't do it because the former MTIA didn't get around to recommending that he do it.

Tilapia, instead of ratifying, announced they would abide by the spirit of the agreement until they changed their mind. But as one can withdraw by giving 3 months notice anyway, that is almost the same as joining.