Popular Republican Debate

The Popular Republican Leadership Contest debate, hosted by FBC News moderator Tom Tucker and guest moderator from the Ponsonby Press, Perch Perkins. The event was done in front of a live audience and televised. 
FBC Tom Tucker: Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the debate for the first ever leadership election of the Popular Republican Movement. I'm Tom Tucker and I'm joined today by Perch Perkins, editor-in-chief of the Ponsonby Press to ask the questions people want answered.
PP Perch Perkins: That's right, Tom. We're going to get our candidates on the record and get to the core of their messages.
FBC Tom Tucker: Let's begin, gentlemen. You've each got 30 seconds for opening statements. We'll start with Secretary Rumsfeld.
Donald Rumsfeld: Thank you, Tom. As we face off this war, the defining issue that will emerge for the next administration will be the exit negotiations with Veldunium and Hastiga. We need to make sure we do it right. Quite frankly, we need to make sure Falleentium gets the good side of the deal, because if we allow Hastiga and Veldunium to get a sweetheart deal like the Straits where they get to keep all the benefits of being in the Empire without any of the drawbacks, what reason does any state have to not try to do the same? We need to prove that states cannot cherry pick which parts of Falleentium they want to keep and which parts they don't. If we fail at our task and Veldunium and Hastiga end up better off than Falleentium, we will see the rapid deconstruction of the Falleen union. I'm here because I think I am the right man to shepherd the party thrugh these tough negotiations. Thank you.
FBC Tom Tucker: Thank you Secretary. Now for MP Cumbernick Bandersnatch.
Cumbernick Bandersnatch: Thank you. You know, I fist became interested in the Popular Republican Movement during the second Angela Merkel government, where PRM was like the keystone that bridged the gap between UKIP and the Socialist Party. While I commend my colleague Sheldon Whitehouse for obviously being a strong campaigner who made PRM a major party in 575, I no longer get the sense that this is a party of the sober centre. If elected, I will bring the party back to what it was under Jeff Sessions, working with parties on both sides of the spectrum. It seems that, increasingly, UKIP and PRM don't get along anymore. If elected, PRM and UKIP will cooperate again, even if one of us is in opposition while the other's in government. They're a valuable potential partner in parliament. Let's start working arcross the isle again.
FBC Tom Tucker: Thank you, Mr. Bandersnatch. Next, Secretary Willi Stoph.
Willi Stoph: Thank You, Mr. Tucker. This party has an amazing opportunity. We stand at the crossroads of history as the war approaches its end phase, and soon we will need to rebuild. The best way forwad is not, contrary to what my colleague just said, to start cutting deals with Amber Rudd. We need to be the party that is not afraid to embrace the policies of the economic left. We must have a bold vision for rebuilding this great nation from the ground up, including such things as a universal healthcare system - a policy which until this point has not been touched by any party but the DLP. When people go to the voting booths in the next federal election, they should know without a shadow of a doubt who the party of the people is. They should know that PRM is going to invest in their communities heavily, fight to improve their financial security, and bring prosperity for all. That is my vision, it is the vision of a Popular Republican Movement that holds nothing back. Thank you.
FBC Tom Tucker: Thank you, Secretary. And finally, we have inumbent leader and Deputy Imperial Chancellor Sheldon Whitehouse.
Sheldon Whitehouse: Thank you, Tom. When I look back on the last... coming on five years, I am immensely proud. We were one of the most active parties in parliament, after only the Socialists I believe, in terms of how much legislation we introduced in the Chamber before the war. Not only that, but we've had incredibly skilled cabinet ministers both before and since the war broke out, including a succession of two of the most proactive Foreign Secretaries in the modern history of this nation. The government before the war passed sweeping investments into our nation's education and infrastructure, ending decades of neglect from the same old tired out parties. But the job is not done. I'm proud of how I've led this movement, and I think that my experience in navigating the Falleen parliament will help us get more done going forward. That's why I want the privilege of being this party's standard-bearer once again in the next election. Thank you.
FBC Tom Tucker: Thank you, gentlemen. Now for our first question, this is for Secretary Stoph: there's no question that you are one of the most far-left politicians in PRM, a party that bills itself as a radical centrist. How do you reconcile the difference between the party mainstream and your own views enough for you to lead the party?
Willi Stoph: Simple. PRM is a flexible party, it always has been and always will be. I don't think my views or plans are in any way contradictory to the party mainstream; If they were, why did Sheldon pick me for a cabinet position? And when I introduced the Infrastructural Investment and Employment Act, it was Party Whip Guy Fieri, a Whitehouse ally, who secured every PRM vote in favor of the bill. Nobody in this party, not even Mr. Bandersnatch, thinks investing in this country is a bad idea - the only difference is that I'm less afraid to do it even if it means a short-term budget deficit.
FBC Tom Tucker: Point taken, but that's only with regards to the policy you passed already. Your plans going forward I trust would be more ambitious, especially given your opening remark where you mentioned universal healthcare? You said it yourself that nobody has wanted to commit to that besides the DLP so far.
Willi Stoph: Universal healthcare might not be in the Popular Republican Programme yet, but I remind you that it was in the government programme for the first Willy Brandt Cabinet, meaning that the Deputy Imperial Chancellor - as well as the social liberals in the New Progressives for that matter - were willing to go on the record in favor of the scheme. None of my ideas are outlandish or unacceptable to the majority of the party, I think you'll find.
FBC Tom Tucker: Okay, thank you Secretary. 
PP Perch Perkins: This next question is for Secretary Rumsfeld: you've made the case for your ideas on state independence, however, that seems to be all you're talking about. Where do you stand on other issues?
Donald Rumsfeld: I've made that issue my focus because I believe it is the defining issue of our lifetime - will this mark the beginning of Falleentium slowly being dismembered, or can we firmly convince the Verz, the Haalsians, the Entish, the Gorigians, the Reellamers, and maybe more to finally put away this separatist talk, and put those angry state politicians out of office. The future of Falleentium as we know it depends on our actions in the exit negotiations, so that's the whole reason why I'm running; I don't intend to take the party in a different policy direction for any other subject.
PP Perch Perkins: So just to be clear, you are running essentially as a single-issue candidate?
Donald Rumsfeld: Largely, yes, although I'd argue that that one issue has massive ramifications on foreign, economic and social policy.
FBC Tom Tucker: Fair enough. This next one is for Sheldon Whitehouse. Mister Deputy Chancellor, that fact that I'm addressing you as such proves you were a skilled campaigner who won a good result for your party. But one nagging issue is that the Popular Republicans saw a lot of their legislation killed in the Imperial Senate and sometimes even in the Chamber despite the fact that parties supporting your government added up to 51% of the Chamber. I don't mean to suggest that all falls on you, but how do you know that if you get re-elected the other parties and the Senate won't obstruct all of your policies like last time?
Sheldon Whitehouse: Well Tom, I don't see the Chamber as much of a problem, most of our bills got through there. The Imperial Senate, admittedly, was a headache before the war, and they've been a headache during the war to the point where the Chancellor, rightfully and constitutionally, had to decide to pass legislation himself using emergency powers. The complete international embarrassment that the Senate caused Fallentium when it undermined our government's negotiations with Vanossium was inexcusable, and it led to the worst possible outcome: complete Vanossian annexation of Jaornor, the creation of a puppet regime in Caornum, and the construction of Vanossian military bases in Naorlum - which is set to formally join the Union of the West soon. It has been a complete disaster. So to answer your question, yes, I'm concerned about the Senate and what is or is not possible to accomplish with their reckless obstructionism. I believe there must be Senate reform, which is why I endorse the DLP's Senate Abstention Act to make it possible to get things done at a federal level again.
FBC Tom Tucker: Well, that might be a good pitch to the people since the Senate's popularity took a hit after that Vanossium business, but remember that ultimately any reform of the Senate you propose would have to be approved by the Senate. What if you can't get it done?
Sheldon Whitehouse: We've got to try, Tom, because it just is the right thing to do. The one positive thing I can say regardless of Senate reform is that state elections are going to happen, so there's a chance that some of these perpetual nay-sayers get booted out of office.
PP Perch Perkins: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Chancellor. This one goes to MP Bandersnatch. Mr. Bandersnatch, you are in this race to move policy back towards the centre, centre-right maybe. However, you do have the smallest résumé of the four candidates running for this office. Having held no positions in PRM Leadership or the Cabinet of Falleentium in the past, why should voters choose you?
Cumbernick Bandersnatch: Well, to be quite frank, that in itself is part of the reason why to vote for me; this election was called to give the voters a chance to change the party leadership, and if the only options were people who are already bigwigs then it wouldn't be much of a change, would it? I'm one of the youngest Popular Republican MPs, I'm a new face with new ideas, and those ideas are no less valid just because I wasn't the PRM treasurer or Health Secretary. I'm here because I believe we need steady, sober leadership as we look towards the end of the war, to repay our debts and oversee the transition of the world back to peace. I believe I'm the candidate to do just that.
FBC Tom Tucker: Thank you, Mr. Bandersnatch. One more for Secretary Rumsfeld: you've established that the defining feature of your campaign is exit negotiation policy. Can you give us some specific things that you'd push for to be included in whatever independence deals Hastiga and Veldunium get?
Donald Rumsfeld: Certainly. One of the reasons Hastiga wanted independence was so that they would not have to contribute to the Falleen military. That's fine. But in response, I say that Hastiga and Veldunium should not get immediate access to the Nilira Alliance. Don't want to pay your share for our military? Then what makes you entitled to its protection? If Hastiga gets into Nilira, they won't spend a single Fall on their own defense because they would be perfectly able to rely on Falleentium and Verzarent and the like to do their fighting for them. That's not fair to us and it would prove them right - that they are better off without being part of Falleentium. Then what reason do the Verz have to stay? This is just one example, there are many others but I fear I'm already exceeding my time.
FBC Tom Tucker: Aren't you afraid PRM might pay a political price for taking these stances? You certainly won't be getting many votes out of Veldunium or Hastiga if your policy is to go hard on them.
Donald Rumsfeld: I believe there are more people in this Empire who believe in Falleentium than those who do not. I'm not afraid to do what's right for my country.
PP Perch Perkins: Thank you, Secretary Rumsfeld. Let's go back to Secretary Stoph. As you know, the Socialist Party surprised the political world when it rebranded itself as the DLP as part of a move to become more market-friendly and less decidedly left-wing. There were some concerns in light of this that once Brandt was no longer in charge of the DLP, the party might begin occupying PRM ideological territory. Why should the Popular Republicans move to the left if every indication is that DLP is going to start moving right? Aren't you concerned that the DLP and PRM might split the same general voter base?
Willi Stoph: As long as Brandt is Chancellor, the DLP will continue to push left-wing populist policies and PRM will retain its niche to the DLP's right. But you asked what happens if Brandt loses re-election and the left-populists lose control of the DLP. I'm not concerned for PRM. We may be radical centrists, but we're not liberals, and I don't think many PRM voters are going to be enticed by the "pro-market" spin that Christine Lagarde has put on the DLP. I've been around long enough to know what that means. Becoming more "market-friendly" is the code word liberals use to justify hijacking the political parties of the working class. Now, the Chancellor is a dear friend of mine and I hope that his party never falls down that path, but if it does, I don't think that PRM will have to worry about our voters leaving under my leadership; our voters won't be tricked by an investment banker.
PP Perch Perkins: That's some tough talk. Thank you, Secretary.
FBC Tom Tucker: Let's bring it back around to Mr. Bandersnatch. You have said you'd like to bring the party in a more conservative direction to backtrack on the centre-left inclinations of Mr. Whitehouse. But if a significant portion of your pitch to voters is a reurn to the Jeff Sessions "good old days" of working with both the left and the right, doesn't it undermine your message that Jeff Sessions hasn't endorsed you, and in fact seems likely to endorse Mr. Whitehouse?
Cumbernick Bandersnatch: I can see how you might think that. But this is about policy, not people. The fact is that Jeff Sessions and Sheldon Whitehouse are practically brothers - they built the party up in 571 when it had no name recongition, no organization, and no resources. Jeff hand-picked Whitehouse as his successor. It would be the least surprising deveopment of this race if Sessions endorses him. But the important thing is that I intend to support the politics of Jeff Sessions even if Jeff Sessions won't.
FBC Tom Tucker: What, then, do you say to your critics, who argue that you would in fact move the party further right than it was under Jeff Sessions?
Cumbernick Bandersnatch: I'd say that they're overreacting. I'm not fresh out of the ranks of the CCU here, I just think we should get our finances straight and help the world return to stability before we start talking about these theoretical debates about better healthcare solutions that, quite frankly, will never come to pass.
Willi Stoph: Maybe it'll never come to pass under your leadership.
PP Perch Perkins: Thank you, Mr. Bandersnatch. Now for a final question, we'll get back to the incumbent Sheldon Whitehouse. You're defending your record in this contest, so what counter-arguments would you offer the three gentlemen challenging you tonight?
Sheldon Whitehouse: Thanks, Perch. What I have to say is this: we don't need a radical chage in policy. Mr. Bandersnatch wants to balance the budget, that's fine, but until the war began we were on-track to close the deficit, Chancellor Brandt and I were, and I wouldn't call Brandt a conservative. At the same time, Secretary Stoph passed ten billion fall in new federal investments, and he didn't need to be the leader to do it. And as for Secretary Rumsfeld, I agree that the remaining states are our priority. As federal representatives, it's our duty to protect the interests of states that are actually staying. I believe in a firm, but fair stance on exit negotiations. With Secretary Rumsfeld I get the sense that he takes it to the point of having no sympathy for the Velds and Hastigans. We should do what we need to protect our interests, not punish them for making a choice we disagree with.
FBC Tom Tucker: Alright gentlemen, that'll conclude this debate. Best of luck.
Category:The Imperial Constitution