2008 Shea Chamber of Deputies Election

312 seats - 157 for a majority

The 2008 Shea Chamber of Deputies Election took place in Shea on the 1st of October 2008. It was a landmark election in Shea as it was the first time that the left-wing parties failed to form a government, leading to the creation of the first right-wing government. Throughout 2008 and the election campaign many newspapers, including Sheaman newspapers, shamed Evan Ilian for his policies and election campaign. Mark Rutherford called Ilian a "disaster for swing voters." Ilian's ministry was notable for passing much more left-wing and progressive acts, making same-sex civil unions and marriages legal, creating a state-owned airline, creating a national minimum wage, and allowing LGBTQ+ people to serve in the military openly. These set of policies led to swing voters turning to the right as well as some moderate-left voters.

New Left received 14 seats, Alternative received 72 seats, Democratic Labour received 34 seats, Movement received 28 seats, United Liberal received 31 seats, Conservative Populist received 105 seats, and National received 28 seats. United Liberal, Conservative Populist, and National formed a coalition consisting of 164 seats, a +7 majority.

## Background

After the resignation of Patrick Conrad as First Minister, Alternative elected Evan Ilian as the new leader of the party and after Conrad resigned, he became First Minister in June 2006 and decided to keep Scott Menalouse as Second Minister.

Ilian had promised to push for a set of new progressive and left-wing policies when he took over as First Minister with his first major act as First Minister being the Equal Marriages & Unions Act. It was a monumental act that legalized same-sex civil unions and same-sex marriages but still allowing religious venues to refuse marriage to same-sex couples. The act led to a massive wave of support from the left but a public outcry from the right. Many swing voters, who tended to be moderate on progressive issues, saw the legalization of civil unions and marriage for same-sex couples as way too left-wing and led to many swing voters moving more right. The LGBT Military Act 2007 also led to an outcry from the right and led to more swing voters deciding to vote for right-wing parties rather than moderate or left-wing parties.

## Campaigning

### Left Campaign

New Left initially wanted to change the Equal Marriages & Unions Act by disallowing same-sex marriages but still allowing civil unions. This changed when the leader of New Left, Ronald Haggen, decided that a progressive campaign might just work out for the party. Haggen agreed to uphold the status quo on marriage as well as relaxing immigration and introducing new green policies. Alternative wanted to pursue a more progressive set of policies as well during the election campaign as Ilian believed that "progress and the movement of forward is the only way this country can continue." Ilian pursued the upholding of gay marriage, relaxing immigration, introducing healthcare laws to reduce the price of healthcare, take control of more of the agriculture industry, and introducing adoption for same-sex couples. Democratic Labour continued its progressive policies which included: allowing same-sex marriage to continue as well as requiring religious venues to hold a same-sex marriage, increasing the penalty for rape, child abuse, and murder, legalizing cannabis, legalizing euthanasia, and introducing new green laws.

### Moderate Campaign

Movement pushed on with its progressive stance for the 2008 Chamber Election but the moderate progressives and strong progressive continued to clash over this decision. The moderate progressives attempted to remove Scott Menalouse as leader of the party by calling a leadership election but they failed to do so, only receiving 36% for their candidate. Movement agreed to allow same-sex marriages, legalizing cannabis, relaxing immigration laws, and privatizing the natural resources industry.

### Right Campaign

United Liberal continued their anti-socialist agenda by wanting to denationalize natural resources, the state airline, and the energy sector. They wanted to disallow same-sex marriages but allow civil unions, introduce anti-abortion laws, legalize handguns, increase immigration for high-skilled workers and refugees but decrease it for low-skilled workers. Conservative Populist wanted to ban same-sex marriages but the party was very split on the issue of banning civil unions or letting them remain. Other policies included: decreasing primary school classes from 30 to 25 students per teacher, increase funding in cancer research, allowing 16-year-olds to join the military with parental consent, banning abortions as a whole, and majorly decreasing immigration into the country. National wanted to ban same-sex marriages, ban civil-unions, and make it a crime to engage in same-sex activities, temporarily stop immigration, ban prostitution, privatize the energy sector, natural resources, state airline, state bank, and the Shea News Corporation.

## Aftermath

The right-wing parties saw a major increase in seats and it was considered a massive success for the right. Immediately a UNITED, COP, NAT coalition was considered due to it being able to form a majority government. Coalition talks were not easy and were initially very slow and because of the disagreement on LGBTQ+ rights, they were making no progress. Eventually, in late October, the parties came to an agreement over LGBTQ+ rights and decided to ban same-sex marriages but allow civil unions. The coalition agreed to ban abortions completely, legalize certain firearms, restrict immigration, decreasing the size of primary school classes, allow 16-year-olds to join the army with parental consent, privatize natural resources, and ban prostitution.

The coalition consisted of United Liberal, Conservative Populist, and National, holding 164 seats which was a +7 majority government. The coalition delivered few of their promises in their first term but throughout their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th term, they would implement almost all of their policies,.