Join the new world

G'day folks!

Well, we are now a little over a week into this term, and it is timely I now give you an update on some of the stuff that has been going on... It has been a weeks or so of highs and lows.

Let's start with some more positive one's first!

Sol Alliance

I will not repeat what the Ministers of Information said in their recent article HERE, other than to say I am happy that we are finally breaking out of our shell and exploring alliances, if only regional for now.

To let you know, I have decided that in addition to my self as Representative to the Sol Alliance, three individuals have been appointed advisory representatives. These people are:

- zaney, current co-Minister of Foreign Affairs;

- Timeoin, current co-Minister of Information; and lastly,

- srg91, last term Minister of Foreign Affairs and key author of eAustralia's involvement in the Alliance.

I have asked for regular updates to be provided on any happenings of relevance to our regional security, and the Ministers of Information will provide updates as part of their regular reports.

War Games

You will have noticed, other than last weeks slight hiccup with the start day, war games are approaching greater regularity. In fact there is one currently on as I write this article, and yet another scheduled this week the day immediately following the completion of this battle.

I note there have been some detractors, in particular highlighting the loss to our productivity and our overall combat readiness by not being able to participate in wars, including the conquest/defence of North America.

The fact is however, what we are involved in currently IS war games. They will of course never have the same 24 hour opportunities for fighting that picking a side in the current World War would offer - however, they also do not present the same risks to our nation as becoming involved in this major world battle.

However, I did hear many say that they want a say about the above, so therefore there will be a chance to have your say (see Refenendum below).

We are continuing to work as partners in the Sol War Games alliance to bring in more nations, which shall not only reduce the cost, but may increase the regularity to where there will be an opportunity to fight every eDay. But remember, considering in July there were no battles at all, and this is part of a growing alliance in our local region, things will continue to improve over time.

'nuff said.

Cabinet / Senate

Well a couple of things to report here. If you have been on the forums, you will have noticed a number of things going on that I am not that happy about.

Firstly, as recently announced I have had to remove one of my Co-Ministers of Cultural Services, sir_c0nstant, from his position. While I will not drag on any further about this, I have spoken with him and do believe it was a misjudgement on his part and he is extremely remorseful.

Following some spirited debate on the merits of individuals that I had thought to nominate for an Order of Australia Medal this term, I have now proposed significant amendments to how they are now awarded. I believe this will actually improve the system, as now every e-Australian will have a say in putting forward names of people they believe are worthy of such an accolade. If passed by the Senate, more information on how you can be involved and nominate someone you think has done our country a huge service will be available soon.

Finally, I think there remains some work in ensuring Cabinet and Senate work together. We are all on the same side, and I hope people remember that by working together, we will achieve far more!

Western Australia

We are in the process of talks with our eIndonesian counterparts on the issue of Western Australia. Further talks are scheduled towards the middle of this week, and depending on the discussions they will lead to some changes in the terms of the current Agreement.

As I said before I stood for election, you need to be aware, that now is likely not the time for us to seek WA returned. We do not have the population, nor sufficient resources to support 300 companies - however, the new arrangements sought will seek to ensure eAustralia is clear in it's purpose to have all it's regions returned in the future.

Further information forthcoming (ie. WATCH THIS SPACE).

Referendum

As promised, I have started work on a referendum about broader alliances and our position on this. I clearly stated up front that I believe this is a choice for the people who actually live here to make, not the select few in Government.

Once the actual mechanics of how a referendum can work (that includes all citizens having the right to vote) is sorted, the ball will start rolling. Again, watch this space for more information.


It's been a hectic week, and I hope you find this brief update useful. As always, feel free to contact me, or any of my Cabinet, if you have any comments, questions or suggestions to help improve our country.

I expect the MoIF will provide a cabinet report update, with more specific stuff going on in each portfolio very soon.

Cheers,

Ranger.