A crowd of men and women, young and old, traders, labourers and artists gathered around a platform installed on Diverney's Grand Place. Under loud applause, Freddy François took the microphone, firmly but in all modesty.

Citoyens,

"Je ne suis pas un politicien!". I say again, I am no politician. But I ask: does Baudrix need to send a politician to the Imperial Parliament?

The crowd sheers "Noooooo! We want François, François,..."

Thank you, thank you.

But for those who have doubts: there is a politician running for a seat right here in Baudrix...

There is that man, having failed to capture a seat in Ibelin, who just recently moved to this province, which he claims to be his own. That same man, having slandered the Conservative Party in the very recent prime ministerial elections, who now, after being rewarded with a position as deputy-prime minister, will ally with that same conservative party to seek electoral profit!

No, my friends, I am not a politician.

I have not been screaming from the sideline for these last three or four months, but I have done my utter best to perform well as the newest member of parliament. From my prime ministerial campaign you all know that I desire to achieve progress in this nation and that I value competent, rather than erratic behaviour.

I have not been involved in, nor have I started any of the useless personal vendettas between some members of parliament, from whatever party they may be.

I have not behaved myself as an empty vessel, willing to copy/paste visions or ideas, if electoral gain is to be found in that! I challenge anyone to cite one vote of mine, which was not in line with my own principles, well known to all of you!!!

The crowd interrupts François' speech and cheers his name again and again

My friends, again: for those who have doubt.

As a member of parliament, I have proposed bills and I have redrafted bills, entirely for the benefit of Alexandria and its legal system. In that work, party interests or personal interests have never been the "leitmotiv", as Galatians would say.

I have proposed well-targeted changes to our economic system. I admit, the bill is still in the “hopper”, but it was the very first bill introduced in the last session of our Imperial Parliament!

I have redrafted Minister Leclerc’s electoral reform bills, not to sabotage the Minister’s proposals, but to better incorporate them in Alexandria’s legal system. Again, my amendments on that bill were the very first to be presented and accepted!

I have fine-tuned the bill for a cabinet integrity act and have just recently proposed a more coherent bill on political parties. Both those bills were proposed by our government, but I never acted in a contra-productive manner. On the contrary, my initiatives have been complimented by several ministers.

The crowd applauds

Citoyens,

We need to protect Alexandria’s integrity as an imperial democracy. In each piece of legislation we need to reconcile the human call for liberty and safety and the state’s desire for control and authority.

If I have opposed the bills on exile it is because the government was not only ignorant of already existing legislation, but also because the government wanted to impose itself as “big brother”. The bills were outright unconstitutional!

The crowd shouts liberty!, liberty!,…

Citoyens,

But no, I have not been anyone’s puppet. There have been occasions were my vote did not follow mr. Carmichael’s vote. I have always been critical of mr. Torres’ proposal with regard to the electoral representation, perhaps overrepresentation, of the OTED.

Citoyens,

I have no intentions of betraying anyone. Not this nation, not our province, not you, ladies and gentlemen, and definitely not myself and the ideas I stand for!!!

The crowd goes wild. François mingles in the crowd, shakes hands, distributes kisses. The cheers continue: “François! François!”

The pubs on Diverney’s Grand Place enjoy a good evening. Beer and wine flows richly.

I can testify to Mssr. Francois' righteousness when he votes in Parliament. He and I regularly discuss what AAP policy in Parliament will be in the AAP forums and though we may not always come to agreement, we both respect each other's decisions. Mssr. Francois, irrespective of party, is an excellent MP and a most honourable man. I urge you all Baudrixians, with whom I lived with for a long time in my stint as Lord Chief Justice, to vote for Mssr. Francois. It is not a vote misplaced as he is, and I'm every member of the House will agree, a valuable asset to Alexandria.

Thank you.

C:)

It counts more than that of a Party Leader who openly declares himself to be a supporter of "strong civil liberties" and then supports a Lord Chief Justice's ruling that deprives a person of the basic civil liberties of due process and fair trial.

Exactly to what extent do you really support civil liberties Mssr. Bertrand? It seems to me that your support of civil liberties extends only to those who have never been charged with a crime.

It is a frightening day when the Deputy Prime Minister supports kangaroo tactics in the High Court of Justice and a deprivation of a person's civil liberties. I would certainly hope you never find yourself charged like Mssr. Torres, Mssr. Bertrand, else you may see that your right to a fair trial and due process is withheld by the Lord Chief Justice.

Well I don't run on a platform of Civil Liberties for Traitors.

When you commit a crime like that, and I know that Mssr Torres did as it was me that he sent the message to, you forfeit the liberties and rights that productive and law abiding citizens enjoy.

If there was any doubt about the guilt of Mssr Torres I would of course be demanding a fair trial but there is no doubt that he is a danger to this nation. He claims to be able to access admin accounts. Do we really want him having access to our nation?

You cannot have your cake and eat it too. You either support civil liberties, including the right of a fair trial and due process for any person charged with a crime, or you are not a supporter of civil liberties. Which is it Mssr. Bertrand?

Says who?

That's like saying I can't say I like pasta if I don't like macaroni but I like every other type.

Everything is not so black and white.

I believe in the freedom of the individual, but everyone has a social responsibility to respect the law and the freedom of other people in order for their liberties to be protected. If they choose to disregard the law then they in turn forfeit their freedoms.

You need to realise that this man was/is a threat to the Empire. If there had been a fair trial then the same conclusion that he is a traitor would have been reached, only by that time he could have hacked the forums and deposed our Emperor.

As a citizen of Alexandria, Torres has the right to a fair trial and due process. It is a fundamental right of any person. And who are you to state that a person has disregarded the law? Then again, you are supporting a Lord Chief Justice who has turned the High Court into a kangaroo court, so I'm not surprised!

If he desires to hack the forums, he doesn't need an active member account at the forums; he can merely take over someone else's account to accomplish the deed or use any one of a long list of methods to gain control over these forums.

Providing him a fair trial would not mitigate any risk; your assertion otherwise is completely without base.

Why can't you just come forward and say that you are not a supporter of civil liberties? Please spare the Alexandrian people from such baseless reasoning.

Do you really think Alexandrians are so naive as to believe your pathetic justification for depriving a citizen of his fundamental right to a fair trial and due process?

You, Mssr. Bertrand, are not a supporter of civil liberties. You should update the policies of the Liberal Alternative to reflect the reality of your principles.

I am not alone in this view on civil liberties and I am sure there are a few people here who would agree with me.

This man planned to take over our nation by illegal means. He is a threat to the freedom of everyone else in this nation. I don't regret supporting the judgement against him for one moment.

Of course you aren't. You are in a coalition with a Conservative Party which has few qualms about infringing the civil liberties of Alexandrians.

Mssr. Bertrand, you have dug yourself into a hole you cannot escape on the issue of civil liberties. Why should anyone, let alone the fine upstanding citizens of Baudrix, support the election of a representative who cannot stick to his own principles on such a fundamental issue?

If you have so easily gone against your principles on civil liberties, one must ask what else are you willing to sacrifice in order to sleep in the same bed as the Conservative Party?

Not only have you flip-flopped in your defence of civil liberties in Alexandria, you have flip-flopped in your opposition to the Conservative Party machine. Mssr. Bertrand, you have no credibility left to speak of.

Please Mssr Sinclair point out where in the Liberal Alternative Manifesto that it states that we support the civil liberties of known criminals.

How many times do I have to explain this to you? I support FREEDOM and CIVIL LIBERTIES but I also believe in "Personal responsibility under the rule of law" as it states in the LA Manifesto. I believe that if someone disregards the law they forfeit their liberty especially with a crime so serious as Treason.


You and the AAP say that I am a flip-flopper because I have entered an alliance with the Conservatives. Let's discuss...

1) If you look at our Manifestos you will see that the Liberal Alternative and the ACP have almost identical economic beliefs and I am sure there are ACP members who share similar views on some social issues.


2) Jean Carmichael who claims to be some sort of Bastion of Liberalism in Alexandria has not only entered coalition with a former ACP member and traitor but he has allowed a Socialist to join his party. Rather than waiting until the next elections and sticking to your principles you were so hungry for power that you entered coalition with people you claim to oppose.

Why on earth would I want to form an electoral alliance with such an unstable and spineless party? You will obviously let anyone of any view join.

It is the AAP, not I, who has no credibility. The AAP is obviously willing to ally itself with people of any opinion just to gain power. God knows what sort of people you would bring to government and what laws you would enact!

I have chosen to ally myself, and my party, with a party of level-headed, serious politicians who I share MANY common goals with and who will ensure stability and growth in the Empire.

Please Mssr. Bertrand, there is no need to devolve into a tantrum to defend your indefensible position.

You once again reiterate your disregard for civil liberties. By your measure, people who are charged with a crime are not innocent until proven guilty, but are indeed guilty until proven innocent. Mssr. Bertrand, if I had known you were a vivid supporter of Roman Empire justice, I would have engaged you in debate.

Do you truly believe that you can pick and choose the application of civil liberties? We are all citizens of the Empire; regardless of what crimes a citizen of this Great Empire is charged with, he/she has fundamental rights. These fundamental rights are above suspicion and must be maintained, less Alexandria devolves into a lawless and tyrannic regime.

Mssr. Bertrand, why are you advocating a general disregard for civil liberties? Are you a tyrant?

Mssr. Bertrand, I am incredibly surprised! Not only have you noted your strong opposition to the fair application of civil liberties, and allied yourself with a Conservative Party which has no qualms about restricting civil liberties, you are now charging that any political party other than your own, or the Conservatives, would destroy Alexandria. Mssr. Bertrand, you continue to amaze me with your intolerant attitude towards those who desire to defend civil liberties in Alexandria!

I am relieved to know that you desire stability and growth for the Empire, Mssr. Bertrand. What frightens me, and what should frighten every Alexandrian, is that you are willing to throw our civil liberties out the door to attain your goals!

Nope. I of course support the courts and legal process usually. In this case there is no disputing that the man is guilty and a threat to us. I'm just thinking about our safety and our freedoms that's all.

Nope I'm not. I do believe that the AAP would form a very bad government though. They are too unpredictable and they have no guiding principles other than opposition to the ACP.

What will frighten every Alexandrian is that you would not take immediate action against someone who is a serious threat to the entire nation. Let's be realistic.



Did you decide to go off on this Civil Liberties tangent because you realised that you couldn't argue against anything else I said?

Mssr. Bertrand, I speak in defence of civil liberties because it is an issue that is very important to me, one that I genuinely support, and one that I see under constant threat from you and your cohorts. Whether I can argue against your other policies or not is inconsequential when you have threatened the very thing that guarantees us the ability to engage in political debate. Your lack of respect for civil liberty is now your defining characteristic after rearing its ugly head for all Alexandrians to worryingly witness.

It has already been established that the provision of a fair trial and due process would present no additional security risk, as whether a member's account is on remand or not is inconsequential to the process of hacking a discussion forum. The person merely needs to be able to take control of the administrator's account; an action which is entirely independent of whether the person has his own functional account at the forum.

What we have here is your persistent disregard for the defence of civil liberties. Granting Mssr. Torres a fair trial and due process is of no additional security risk to the Empire, as you wish people to believe; yet, you continue to persist in this whitewash. That is reality Mssr. Bertrand.

Failing to grant one a fair trial and due process only serves to damage the integrity of the basic universal civil liberties that we, as Alexandrians, have all been guaranteed. We have been guaranteed these rights regardless of whether we have been charged with a crime or not. The nature of the charge does not mitigate the responsibility of the Imperial Government to ensure that all Alexandrians can exercise and are guaranteed our civil liberties.

That you believe that you, and the Imperial Government, can pick and choose the application of these liberties only reinforces the fact that each and every Alexandrian should be very concerned as to what you, as a Member of Parliament, and as Deputy Prime Minister, will do while in office. That belief is bordering on arrogance and tyranny.

How long will it be until you oversee the full destruction of our civil liberties, Mssr. Bertrand? You have already voiced your intention to do away with two of the liberties. How many more liberties will you tear out of the heart of this Great Empire during your next term in office? How many of your constituents will be betrayed by your campaign against civil liberties?

Do you serve an agenda of tyranny, Mssr. Bertrand, or do you serve for the benefit of the people who are the heart of this Great Empire?

Please do not insult each and every Alexandrian by stating your are defending our freedoms. When you think about our freedoms, are you perversely thinking about their destruction, Mssr. Bertrand? There is little to suggest you are doing otherwise.

I understand that this is something you are very passionate about.

I can assure you that there will be no attack on the Liberties of law-abiding citizens if I am elected. I would be the first person to stand up for freedom of conscience and the right to free speech (something the AAP does not believe in as it saw fit to take me to court).

The Lord High Justice made a decision based on all the evidence. I did not complain about this decision because I knew that any jury in the land would come to the same conclusion and because of the utmost seriousness of the crime.

In the macronational world I would have been angry with the decision myself, but this is micronations. You don't have a right to be a part of this nation. It is a privilege. In my view if you threaten the Emperor, the owner and creator of this nation, then you are out. We don't need to tolerate people who want to destroy everything we've built up.

Now, unless you have something new to add, I bid you goodnight.

Oh Nicholas, please please please indulge me as to what you meant by that! What assertion are you casting there?!? :angry:

Secondly, Liam Sinclair is not a member of the AAP so your ranting at him over the AAP is pointless. I, not the AAP, took you to court because you branded us and all our allies, including the Interior Minister, as far left loonies, fascists and traitors. That is defamation and is language that has nearly always been seen as defamation. In fact, Traitor is a word that you are strictly forbidden to call someone in the house of commons, the MOTHER of Parliaments. Bodes well if you enter it.

I'm not ranting at Liam Sinclair but generally giving my opinion on the AAP and explaining why I didn't want to enter coalition with your party. I wanted people to know why I entered coalition with the ACP as this is an issue that has been raised a number of times.

I really am growing tired of this. I have had to repeat myself over and over again and it is getting boring.

Can we please try and raise the standard of debate and stick to the issues from now on. I am more than willing to be civil and this has gone on for far too long and has done nothing but ruin both of our reputations.

You haven't explained the statement. I'd appreciate it greatly if you did.

No reply? You were on here when I asked this. Pray tell Nicholas what you meant.

Well, its nice to know that you've censored yourself or had yourself censored by someone. But still, I'd like an explanation of the statement Nicholas.

Or you could sue him for that too.

I might but the actual statement has gone now, which means lack of evidence. Add to that I'm merely requesting he explain what he meant, I don't have the grounds to sue.