Port Jackson

[Bowex]

POLITICS:

i) Shortly after the original founding of the Port Jackson colony in 816 AS, a Colonial Governor was appointed to oversee the day to day running of the site. A Colonial Governor must be appointed by the House of Lords, then ratified by the Queen. The initial Governor was Sir Gregory Golding, an extremely distant relation of Her Royal Majesty. The Colonial Governor may be removed from their position by i) death, ii) resignation, iii) a ¾ dismissal vote by the Lords, iv) a single dismissal vote from Her Royal Majesty. It was clause iv that removed Sir Golding, after controversial claims were brought to light by the New London press, in regards to the initial deployment of ExSec forces (among other things).

ii) Port Jackson'€™s Colonial Governor is currently Sir James Hewitt, the Division Director of Bowex'€™s Colonial Authority. He was appointed roughly 24 months ago, after the retirement of Sir Arthur Golding. The Colonial Governor initially held supreme local executive and legislative powers relating to the colony. He could propose and pass bills into local Acts, in order to shape the policy and development of the colony. The Colonial Governor is a direct agent of the Crown, and consequently answers to the monarch. The Colonial Governor'€™s executive powers were severely curtailed in light of the formation of a Regional Assembly.

iii) The Port Jackson Regional Assembly was formed roughly one year after the colony'€™s foundation, when it was deemed stable enough to self-rule. The Regional Assembly works as a small-scale equivalent of the Bretonian House of Commons, consisting of 50 seats. Elections were held on a party-line basis, with the Royalists drawing a significant lead, obtaining 31 (72%) of the 50 seats. The Federalists came second, holding 19 (38%), with the Greens and the local Jackson Nationalist Party holding one seat each. Each assembly holds session for four years, at which point there is a new round of elections.

iv) The Chairman of Port Jackson'€™s Regional Assembly is currently Arthur Saunders, the party leader of the Port Jackson Royalists. The Regional Assembly is designed to counterbalance the power of the Colonial Governor, due to the fact that they possess democratic legitimacy as an elected body. The Assembly acts in much the same way as the House of Commons, suggesting, debating and passing bills. While the Governor acts as an agent of the Crown, Members of the Assembly (MAs) act solely on the behalf of the population.

v) After the formation of the Regional Assembly, the Colonial Governor lost the ability to carte blanche implement legislation. While retaining the power to suggest bills, they must now be debated and approved by the Assembly or face a veto vote. The Governor holds an unelected '€œ51st'€ voting seat within the Assembly. Similarly, the Governor and his advisors occupy the role of an '€˜upper house'€™, reviewing and tweaking legislation as required. Theoretically, this could result in a political impasse, as both structures attempt '€œlegislative ping-pong'€, wherein a bill is repeatedly vetoed by both groups and forwarded back and forth with amendments. The Governor can bypass the Assembly in times of crisis using Emergency Bills. These do not require democratic approval, but can only be implemented during a State of Emergency.

vi) Port Jackson is currently entitled to one seat in the House of Commons, a number that is expected to grow in proportion to the colony'€™s population. The election was held upon the minimum target voting population of 100,000+/- being achieved within the lease area. Retaining the popularity that was evident during the Assembly elections, the Royalist candidate won with a landslide victory of 71,000+/- (71%) votes. The Federalists came a long way behind with 22,000+/- (22%) votes. The Port Jackson Nationalist Party secured the final 7% of the vote. The election was notable for the absence of candidates standing for the other Bretonian mainstream parties, who had perhaps been dissuaded by the results of the local elections.

vii) The Member of Parliament (MP) for Port Jackson is currently George Stirling, a senior figure within the Port Jackson Royalist Party. MPs are employed to represent the views and desires of their constituents within the House of Commons. This allows for Port Jackson'€™s position within Bretonia'€™s global politics to be influenced. Port Jackson'€™s MP does not actually reside within the colony, instead being posted on New London so as to ease access to New Westminster Palace and Parliament.

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