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+--- Thread: In the Bretonian Parliament (/showthread.php?tid=14020)
In the Bretonian Parliament - Capt. Henry Morgan - 11-25-2008
![[Image: 800px-Palace_of_Westminster,_London_-_Feb_2007.jpg]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/97/Palace_of_Westminster,_London_-_Feb_2007.jpg/800px-Palace_of_Westminster,_London_-_Feb_2007.jpg)
New Westminster Palace on Planet New London, meeting place of the Bretonian Parliament.
It is an exact replica of the original building where the British Parliament met on Earth before the Exodus.
He had recently been serving in the Bretonian Armed Forces, right up on the front lines against the Kusari invaders. He knew the BAF was fighting valiantly but that they needed more help. He was beginning to consider advocating conscription, but was trying to avoid that as best as he could. He had one more idea to try before it got to that point. It was that idea that brought him before Parliament today.
"My Lords, as you are all aware, Her Majesty's forces continue to fight bravely against the Kusari invaders, but we can only do so much when we are beset by enemies on every side. To stem the tide against us, some have suggested that we begin conscripting citizens into the Armed Forces. I do not believe that this is necessary at this time, yet I do recognize that something must be done.
Currently, the Defense of the Realm Act requires that all fighter pilots in the employ of the Bretonian government, working for Borderworld Exports or Bretonia Mining and Manufacturing come to the assistance of any Armed Forces pilot that requests it. To date, these pilots have answered the call on more than one occasion, and have done much to insure that Her Majesty's Armed Forces were victorious on those occasions.
Considering the success of the Defense of the Realm Act, I feel that the time has come to expand it's focus to include all civilian fighter pilots in Bretonian space. Though they are not trained to Military standards, it is the duty of all our citizens to defend Bretonia to the best of their ability. I'm certain that the Armed Forces will show proper discretion in utilizing civilian assistance, and this expansion of the Defense of the Realm act could be what we need to stem the tide of the forces arrayed against us.
I urge you all, My Lords, to consider carefully the needs of Bretonia when discussing this proposal, and that you will approve it.
Thank you"
With that, Lord Mountbatten returned to his seat and listened to the debate pick up around him. He knew that this issue would soon be picked up by his allies in the House of Commons, and that it would hopefully meet with the approval of both houses. God knew, Bretonia needs all the help that it can get.Currently, the Defense of the Realm Act requires that all fighter pilots in the employ of the Bretonian government, working for Borderworld Exports or Bretonia Mining and Manufacturing come to the assistance of any Armed Forces pilot that requests it. To date, these pilots have answered the call on more than one occasion, and have done much to insure that Her Majesty's Armed Forces were victorious on those occasions.
Considering the success of the Defense of the Realm Act, I feel that the time has come to expand it's focus to include all civilian fighter pilots in Bretonian space. Though they are not trained to Military standards, it is the duty of all our citizens to defend Bretonia to the best of their ability. I'm certain that the Armed Forces will show proper discretion in utilizing civilian assistance, and this expansion of the Defense of the Realm act could be what we need to stem the tide of the forces arrayed against us.
I urge you all, My Lords, to consider carefully the needs of Bretonia when discussing this proposal, and that you will approve it.
Thank you"
In the Bretonian Parliament - Unseelie - 11-29-2008
The opposition speaker, Lord Marlborough, rises:
Gentlemen, Ladies, I think we all sympathize with the military, and we of course want the Armed Forces to succeed. We each feel the tragedy when an Armed Forces pilot dies. But the entire point of the Armed Forces is to defend the civilian population, and it is entirely ridiculous to suggest making impromptu drafts possible, let alone making it our policy. And that is what this is. A suggestion that every military pilot should order untrained civilian pilots into combat. I rather think not. An orderly and organized draft at home, sure. But to take men from their workplace, from the organizations that support the Armed Forces and to force them into it? Rather shortsighted, I would say.
In the Bretonian Parliament - Capt. Henry Morgan - 12-10-2008
Lord Mountbatten rises to his feet, after listening to Lord Marlborough give rebuttal.
"Lord Marlborough, I am fully aware that pressing civilian fighter pilots into service to defend their home is far from ideal. This entire war is far from ideal, though our sons and daughters have been fighting bravely and winning against the Kusari invader. As for your point about an orderly and organized draft, I may be willing to agree with that when the time comes. I do not believe it has yet come to that, though.
To say that it is ridiculous to have "impromptu drafts" as you call them simply proves that you really have been sleeping through these sessions for the last couple of years. The Defense of the Realm act is not some new idea that I'm proposing. It has been around for some time, and has proven to be a resounding success. What I am calling for is simply an expansion of that success. In no engagement where the Defense of the Realm Act has been invoked has a single civilian pilot fallen to the enemy. I believe that more than proves the Armed Forces will use this expansion carefully and to it's greatest effect.
I believe that all sides have had a chance to make their points. Any further bickering at this juncture would do nothing but aid Bretonia's enemies. I believe the time has come for a vote. What say you, My Lords?"
Lord Mountbatten sits back down in his seat, and waits for the votes of "content" and "not-content" to be tallied.
To say that it is ridiculous to have "impromptu drafts" as you call them simply proves that you really have been sleeping through these sessions for the last couple of years. The Defense of the Realm act is not some new idea that I'm proposing. It has been around for some time, and has proven to be a resounding success. What I am calling for is simply an expansion of that success. In no engagement where the Defense of the Realm Act has been invoked has a single civilian pilot fallen to the enemy. I believe that more than proves the Armed Forces will use this expansion carefully and to it's greatest effect.
I believe that all sides have had a chance to make their points. Any further bickering at this juncture would do nothing but aid Bretonia's enemies. I believe the time has come for a vote. What say you, My Lords?"
In the Bretonian Parliament - bluntpencil2001 - 12-10-2008
A middle aged man, the reasonably well known Arthur Caithness, stood to speak, being a representative from an interest group to be effected by the motion, which had taken on the supposedly temporary name of 'the Bowex Fringe' as it had rapidly become something akin to a political party.
"Milords, miladies, as you well know, I myself fly cargo and supplies or the war effort on a large scale between Leeds and New York. With the funds and produce gained, I have made every effort to fuel our gallant Armed Forces, and shall continue to do so, since I don't want us to end up flinging around raw fish like those beady-eed pancake faces."
He paused for a moment to let his tasteless vulgarity set in. It was surprisingly well received.
"Now, there is talk of conscription and press-ganging civilian pilots. This is, frankly, ridiculous. For one thing, it would devastate morale.
I know that from back in my days as a young whippersnapper, when I'd fly as a rowdy hotshot escort fighter pilot. We'd been fighting some large Corsair contraption, and it would've ripped us apart, it, in spite of being some dirty Hispanic tool-box shaped rust-bucket, with admittedly clean windows, though, being far too big for our snubfighters to tussle with.
Now, I believe my story has a point... yes... the engines and shields on the blighter gave out. Turns out her engineering crew decided that being forced into their job wasn't their cup of tea, aye? They skimped on training, and panicked in battle. Press-ganged their own boys, you see?
Anyway, you will now be wondering my own suggestion on how to provide pilots for our forces.
The answer, if one speaks to the Armed Forces recruiters themselves, is...
Nothing.
Recruitment is at an all time high, and has even had to be temporarily closed. Men and women from all walks of life rush to defend Bretonia's rights and freedoms. Take that freedom away, and you'll lose this powerful support!
Now, I might be a rude old bugger, by I know that it isn't the fault of our brave pilots, or even our industry and output that is causing us to suffer daily embarassment at the hands of the sushi-arsed noodle-suckers. I would suggest that our current strategies and tactics are the problem.
We don't need more production, or more pilots, we need a more efficient use of them. Make less do more.
I have prepared a proposal for more efficient training regimes for pilots if the representatives from the Forces don't take offence?"
Of course, the proposal had already been handed out, Caithness being very bloody offensive in general. It appeared that those with combat experience in the Bowex Fringe had contacted a circle of experts in the Forces, and had come up with a draft suggesting which areas of training should be most heavily focused on by pilots.
Discipline seemed to be top of the list together with small group unit tactics, as well as extensive training against certain classes of vessel. All in all, it wasn't terribly radical, but it was a good assessment.
In the Bretonian Parliament - Capt. Henry Morgan - 12-31-2008
Lord Mountbatten wasn't happy about the failure of his proposed expansion of the Defense of the Realm act, but he was well aware that you couldn't win everything. Fortunately, he didn't lose much of his standing in the House of Lords, and his voice still carried weight. He even managed to win a few small victories since then, mostly on less prominent, but still important issues, such as balancing between funding the military and funding other government services. Something new had been weighing on Lord Mountbatten's mind lately. He stood to address the House of Lords.
"My Lords, I'm sure that all of you have read over the MoD's report about the Corsair's new tactics, and their recent strikes against targets here in the New London system. How did the Corsairs manage to get support for sustained attacks so far from any of their bases? Who, in all of Bretonia, tolerates Corsairs for any reason?
The answer, My Lords, is simple. The Junkers. According to the MoD's report, that Corsair strike force was based out of Trafalgar Base, right here in the heart of Bretonia! This is not an isolated incident, either. For years, enemies of the Crown have been finding safe haven with the Junkers on Trafalgar Base.
Why have we continued to tolerate these criminals for so long? For what reason do we allow our enemies to have a safe port in the very heart of Her Majesty's capital system? We've even gone so far as to trade with the Junkers for supplies, so they can maintain their den of villany!
I say we put a stop to this idiocy immediately. I feel that we should begin a full embargo against all Junker ships in Bretonian space, followed by a complete expulsion of all Junkers from Bretonia, including the abandonment of Trafalgar Base. These attacks on what should be the safest place in Sirius will stop, if we have the will to stop them.
My Lords, do not allow these criminals to continue to endanger Bretonia's citizens. Approve my proposal, and we can win back some measure of security against those who would endanger it.
Thank You."
The answer, My Lords, is simple. The Junkers. According to the MoD's report, that Corsair strike force was based out of Trafalgar Base, right here in the heart of Bretonia! This is not an isolated incident, either. For years, enemies of the Crown have been finding safe haven with the Junkers on Trafalgar Base.
Why have we continued to tolerate these criminals for so long? For what reason do we allow our enemies to have a safe port in the very heart of Her Majesty's capital system? We've even gone so far as to trade with the Junkers for supplies, so they can maintain their den of villany!
I say we put a stop to this idiocy immediately. I feel that we should begin a full embargo against all Junker ships in Bretonian space, followed by a complete expulsion of all Junkers from Bretonia, including the abandonment of Trafalgar Base. These attacks on what should be the safest place in Sirius will stop, if we have the will to stop them.
My Lords, do not allow these criminals to continue to endanger Bretonia's citizens. Approve my proposal, and we can win back some measure of security against those who would endanger it.
Thank You."
In the Bretonian Parliament - pbrione - 01-09-2009
"Order! Order! By this agenda one of our right honourable members has some business to raise. The Speaker recognises Lord Admiral Jellicoe."
A quiet murmering filled the room as the old man slowly and stiffly rose to his feet. Jellicoe was a respected, even esteemed member of the House of Lords, but at 76 he was well past active retirement from his command of the Suffolk Fleet, and it had been a good year since many of the Lords remembered hearing him speak in Parliament at all. The Lord Admiral cleared his throat loudly.
"My fellow Lords and, ah... Ladies..." he began, reading slowly from a pre-prepared speech with which it was abundantly clear that he did not even personally agree with so much as the opening sentence, "As you are well aware our fine nation of Bretonia has long been governed according to a combination of parliamentary convention and jolly good common sense. Ahem. However, it is felt in certain quaters...I mean, that is to say, I feel that the time has at last come for us to codify these excellent traditions, along with some new, more....progressive ideas, into a single document. This will, no doubt," he continued, clearly indicating that he in fact doubted it very much indeed, "greatly strengthen our Kingdom and Empire, both against the false claims of perfidious foreign Empires, and against the internal threats of dissidents, pretenders, and covert revolutionaries. My Lords, it is time for us to write up a Bretonian Constitution."
He sat down again, frowning and clearly slightly unsettled by the loud outbreak of noise from the other Lords on the reading of this final sentence. Jellicoe was, beyond doubt, one of the least likely of all members of the House to approve let alone conceive of such a radically progressive policy. It was blindling obvious to everyone that he was merely being used as a mouthpiece by powerful figures outside of Parliament, most probably his fellow members of the Admiralty Board and the Fleet Admiral, on whom he still relied for his large Admiral's salary. This suspicion was confirmed when Lord Admirals Fairfax and Cunningham, the other two incumbents on the Admiralty Board with seats in Parliament, immediately rose to their feet and declared their somewhat more heartfelt approval of the suggestion. Edmund Cunningham in particular was still significantly influential amongst many of the more military-inclined Lords, and felt sure he would be able to push through this measure designed to strengthen the quartet establishment of the Crown, Lords, Admiralty and Constabulary.
In the Bretonian Parliament - Capt. Henry Morgan - 01-13-2009
Lord Mountbatten listened respectfully to Lord Admiral Jellicoe's proposal. It came as no surprise to him, as he was in on the early planning stages. Consequently, he was one of the few members of the House of Lords who was not in a state of shock. After Lord Admirals Fairfax and Cunningham gave their support, Lord Mountbatten stood to address the Lords.
My Lords, I am aware of the concerns that many of you have. Many of you, of course, are thinking that perhaps a time of war is not the time for such radical change. Some of you, I'm sure, also feel that our old traditions have served us well enough for the last couple thousand years or so.
I tell you that the time has indeed come for such progressive change. At no point in her history has Bretonia been so challenged, and only by looking to the future can we hope to prove equal to the challenges before us. Adopting a Constitution for the first time in Bretonia's history is not an abandonment of our great traditions, but rather a protection of those traditions. This measure has my full support. Thank you.
Lord Mountbatten returned to his seat fully aware that his own support, along with the backing of the military lobby would almost guarantee the adoption of the Bretonian Constitution. He sat back and listened to the turns that the debate was taking as others stood both in favor of and against the measure.
I tell you that the time has indeed come for such progressive change. At no point in her history has Bretonia been so challenged, and only by looking to the future can we hope to prove equal to the challenges before us. Adopting a Constitution for the first time in Bretonia's history is not an abandonment of our great traditions, but rather a protection of those traditions. This measure has my full support. Thank you.
In the Bretonian Parliament - pchwang - 01-13-2009
As the members of the House of Lords continued to discuss the issue at hand, what was originally a mild din grew to a loud ruckus.
Suddenly, a large hand was lifted above the clamor in the House. With some difficulty and the help of a study cane, the owner of the hand stood.
Noticing the hand, the Lord Speaker shouted over the din. "Order! The Speaker acknowledges Lord Halloran, Baron of Hartfordshire."
Several heads turned, noticing the elephantine figure of Baron Robert Halloran, who had barely fit into his seat. Halloran was known to have spent nearly his entire life in the House of Lords, having first begun to represent after inheriting a large parcel of land from the childless Sir William Egan following the man's death nearly fifty years ago. At 77, the morbidly large Halloran was almost never seen in public, but had managed to get his hands on most issues regarding the crown using his considerable connections, wealth, and influence.
Smiling and turning to look at the members of the House of Lords, Halloran began.
"My good members of the House of Lords. While I was dozing, I believe that there has been talking of adopting a Bretonian Constitution. Have we become the House of Commons? We speak of 'Progressive Change' as if it is a term that is tossed about as a trite word to attract the attention of young hipsters. Change is serious. Change is often necessary. What we forget, however, is that change is not always necessary.
Change can also impede change, especially when there is change when no change is needed.
Are we saying that there is an issue with the crown at the moment that only a few of us are aware of? Perhaps there is an unknown plague that is spreading through halls of the Queen's palace, infecting inhabitants with a false sense of insecurity?
If there is no problem that our nation faces, why create change?
Mountbatten talks of protecting Old Traditions. What happened to the Tradition of a Monarchy unhindered by a piece of paper filled with laws and clauses that would make it difficult for her highness the Queen to eat? This is not the time for a change like this. Bretonia has stood the test of time because she has forged ahead with a Monarchy that is not afraid to take action.
The existence of this so called constitution will only do one thing, and that one thing is to prevent the Crown from adapting to difficulties it faces in the future. Who knows what will happen in the future? Should we need to change something, shall we rewrite the Constitution, then, friends? How long should we debate the changes for? Two weeks? Three? Make it a month.
By the end of that month, I'll surprised if we did not lose Graves to the Mollys or Harris to the bloody Kusarianese.
I, my friends and fellow members of the House, am not only a patriot to my nation, but a devout defender of our crown.
One thing that is essential to the defense of our nation is flexibility. Our stalwart defenses will eventually fall if we simply stand straight and allow the enemy to continuously pummel at our men. Adopting this constitution will only cause additional stress and argument that is utterly detrimental to flexibility of the Crown and its Monarch."
Change can also impede change, especially when there is change when no change is needed.
Are we saying that there is an issue with the crown at the moment that only a few of us are aware of? Perhaps there is an unknown plague that is spreading through halls of the Queen's palace, infecting inhabitants with a false sense of insecurity?
If there is no problem that our nation faces, why create change?
Mountbatten talks of protecting Old Traditions. What happened to the Tradition of a Monarchy unhindered by a piece of paper filled with laws and clauses that would make it difficult for her highness the Queen to eat? This is not the time for a change like this. Bretonia has stood the test of time because she has forged ahead with a Monarchy that is not afraid to take action.
The existence of this so called constitution will only do one thing, and that one thing is to prevent the Crown from adapting to difficulties it faces in the future. Who knows what will happen in the future? Should we need to change something, shall we rewrite the Constitution, then, friends? How long should we debate the changes for? Two weeks? Three? Make it a month.
By the end of that month, I'll surprised if we did not lose Graves to the Mollys or Harris to the bloody Kusarianese.
I, my friends and fellow members of the House, am not only a patriot to my nation, but a devout defender of our crown.
One thing that is essential to the defense of our nation is flexibility. Our stalwart defenses will eventually fall if we simply stand straight and allow the enemy to continuously pummel at our men. Adopting this constitution will only cause additional stress and argument that is utterly detrimental to flexibility of the Crown and its Monarch."
Halloran stopped for a second to chuckle.
"Gentlemen, consider your decisions carefully. Thank you.
With that, Halloran struggled to sit back down. Finding Mountbatten, in the crowd, Halloran smiled at the man. Nevertheless, the man's face remained confident and resolute, something that disturbed Halloran.
All men can be broken, thought Halloran. The only trouble was doing it legally.
In the Bretonian Parliament - Slavik - 01-13-2009
The Loud Ruckus started again, that was until the Lord speaker noticed Lord Barrington standing up. Whilst being a young lord serving his second term in the house all know that his knowledge of Bretonian history often shines a new light on things. "Order! Order! The Speaker acknowledges Lord Barrington."
"Gentlemen, Ladies.
When our sleepership 'the Bretonia' made planetfall on New London on 19 AS we where not an Absolute monarchy and we have never been an absolute monarchy!. Our Monarch then and now was and is still bound by the Magna Carta. The Great charter of freedoms for us Lords! This document bounds the monarchy to abide the rules stated as well as gives us a set of rules to abide to.
A constitution would just be an extension of these rules stated, as such it is not so 'progressive' as some of you Lordships think. However I agree with Lord Halloran that the time is not right for a discussion of this magnitude. The war with these Kusari dogs has priority and before these problems are handled we should not even try to start with taking on big changes like these!"
With that said Lord Barrington sat down, Nodded at the speaker and the voices of his fellow lords grew loud again.
In the Bretonian Parliament - pbrione - 01-19-2009
As the debate in the Lords ploughed on, the House of Commons had, by now, been in a state of uproar for the last two days. The staunch opposition of the more conservative MPs to the Constitutional proposals had split the House, including many of Worthington's key Cabinet Ministers, with the traditionalist Lord Chancellor, Lord Russell, threatening to resign should the motion be passed. In a desperate effort to reach a compromise that would not destroy his government, Prime Minister Worthington had proposed a Bill that would postpone any Constitutional amendments for 6 months, until such time as a Parliamentary Commission had had time to fully investigate and report on the Condition of the Realm, and assess the need for such a measure. Unfortunately, this compromise suited neither the traditionalists nor the progressive movement, and proved a political miscalculation on his part which only served to make Worthington look weak and indecisive.
Frustrated by the lack of progress, and determined to block Worthington's delaying Bill, the strong military lobby had joined forces with Mountbatten's growing progressive faction, and the defection of several key members of Worthington's government, including the Defence Minister James Ralston, gave this new coalition a potential majority in the Commons and Lords.
By now the chaos had spilled back over into the House of Lords, and with the Prime Minister stuck in the Commons, here Mountbatten and his allies were able to begin to undermine the government's position without Worthington having a chance to defend himself.
"Order! Order! .....Order I say!! You shall quiet yourselves or be ejected from this Chamber! Lord Carlile, please be seated! ......The Speaker recognises Lord Canning, Earl of Malmesbury."
Lord Canning, one of Mountbatten's closest allies and a skilled orator and political negociator, rose steadily to his feet. He paused for a moment, waiting for the Chamber to fall silent, and stared dramatically around, being careful to make eye contact with those key wavering members whom he needed to convert.
"My Lords. As you are well aware, we live in difficult times. The Kusari are at the gates; without action soon Harris may well be lost. In Dublin and Edinburgh, political instability threatens constantly to overcome us. Our economy is in dire condition, ever weakened by our taxing trade blockade in Tau. The people are discontent, years of rationing are lowering their morale day by day. And who can blame them? Who here can honestly say that their grievences are not justifed? I for one can certainly sympathise with their concerns. Yet what is being done by this government to address them? Hmm? What, if anything, is our government, our Prime Minister, doing to strengthen the Bretonian Crown and aid its subjects? Proposing a Six Month Parliamentary Commission, to investigate and report on the Condition of Bretonia."
Many of the Lords jeered and laughed mockingly, whilst those still loyal to the government sank down further into their chairs, looking abashed. It really had been a dreadful proposal. Canning smiled and looked round, encouraging the noise, before waving them back down into silence
"Six months. In six months, this great nation could well be on its knees. We could be overrun by our enemies, both inside and out, and by then it would not be a Constitution we were signing, but a declaration of surrender. The choice is not, as our government would have you beleive, between preserving or weakening the Crown, not at all. It is a choice between regulating the Crown, or handing it over to the Kusari Emperor."
"Only if we stand united, by unifying our government, our Police, our Armed Forces and our great and beloved Queen, under a single, simplified system, can we ever hope of succeeding in defeating our enemies and preserving our Bretonian way of life. The present tangle of bureaucracy is too slow, too inefficient, to pass the necessary legislation that we need. This new Constitution is our last chance; our only chance. And the Prime Minister's proposed Parliamentary Commission, with its cumbersome and painstakingly slow investigation, would damn us all to oblivion."
"I know, as many of you do, that this government Amendment Bill will be seen as a referendum on the Prime Minister's leadership. Its failure will, no doubt, be seen as an expression of no confidence in the government of Prime Minister Worthington. This is...regrettable. I for one feel great loyalty to the Prime Minister," he lied convincingly, "and sincerely beleive that he has done a fine job of governing our nation thus far. But be in no mistake - fail this Bill must. Whatever our loyalties, whatever our doubts, we must ensure that the Amendment Bill is blocked, so that we can press ahead with Constitutional reform now, not in six or twelve months time. If the cost of doing so is the downfall of the Prime Minister then, I regret to say, it is a price we shall have to pay."
As he resumed his seat, the House remained deathly silent for several seconds, as the Lords slowly digested his controversial, yet much needed words. Secretly, it was what many of them had been thinking, even if they dared not express it out loud. Slowly, there began a great tidal wave of noise, as the rest of Mountbatten's allies began to applaud and cheer their approval, whilst those remaining loyal to the government started to shout out in protest...the room returned into chaos once more...
"Order! Let there be silence, please, my Lords. Order...........