Law:The Referendum Advisory Commission Act
44RZ16: The Referendum Advisory Commission Act
FAILED TO PASS |
Ziu 44th Clark 2nd
Uréu q'estadra så: The Hon. Litz Cjantscheir, ChRTB, MC, RUMP, CZ |
Cosă: PASSED |
Per 107 — Con 37 — Aus 18 |
Senäts: FAILED |
Per 1 — Con 4 — Aus 2 |
L'Anuntziă dels Legeux |
View Clark Result |
WHEREAS There have been a number of voters abstaining on Referendum Acts in previous referenda;
WHEREAS One reason for the high number of abstaining is that voters don’t fully understand what they are being asked to ratify;
WHEREAS some referendum bills can be quite complex to a voter who is not actively partaking in the debate/discussion of such bill;
UNDERSTANDING that not everyone has a legal mind and can make out half the jargon in these bills.
WHEREAS some bills deal with complex issues which aren’t fully explained to the voter;
ACKNOWLEDGING that once a Bill passes the Clark, it is almost entirely forgotten by the Ziu and is not actively campaigned for or explained to the electorate;
RESOLVED to inform the Electorate before and during referendum time, of what they are voting for, why they are voting on this bill and the effect ratification of the bill in question will have,
THEREFORE BE IN ENACTED:
Section 1: Immediately upon the dissolution of the Cosa, should a referendum bill be passed during its session or whenever a referendum falls to be held , the Prime Minister may, if he or she considers it appropriate or if instructed by the majority of the Ziu, by order establish a commission which shall be known as the Referendum Advisory Commission (refered hereafter as “the Commission”) to perform the functions conferred on it by this Act.
Section 2: The Commission shall be independent in the performance of its functions and shall consist of no less than three (3) and no more than five (5) members.
(b) Members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Prime Minister and shall include the following: i) One member from the Uppermost Cort , if no member is available, the Prime Minister may appoint one member from any inferior Court. However, should none of these citizens be available, (for any legitimate reason) for appointment, the Prime Minister may at his/her discretion appoint any citizen, excluding the King or any member of the Government, to this position.
ii) The Chancellor of the Royal Talossan Bar, or his/her Deputy or appointed agent. However, should none of these citizens be available (for any legitimate reason) for appointment, the Prime Minister may at his discretion any citizen, excluding the King or any member of Government, to this position.
iii) The Minister of Justice, or his/her Deputy or appointed agent. However, should none of these citizens be available, for any legitimate reason, for appointment, the Prime Minister, may at his discretion any member of his/her Government, excluding him/herself, to this position.
iv) Two additional ordinary members, one whom shall be in favour of the bill and one whom shall be opposed to the bill. Should no one be in favour/opposed to the bill or no citizen in favour/opposed to the bill is available for appointment, the Prime Minister may at his/her discretion appoint any citizen, excluding the King or any member of the Government, to this position.
(c) The Commission shall according to its own rules and procedures elect one of its members to act as Chairperson.
(d) Should any vacancies arise once the Commission has been appointed, these may be filled by any ordinary person at the Prime Minister’s discretion. The Commission may not act without three (3) or more members.
(e) A member of the Commission shall not advocate or promote a particular result at the referendum in respect of which the Commission has been established.
Section 3: The Commission shall have, the following principal functions in relation to the referendum in respect of which it is established:
(a) to prepare: (i) a statement or statements containing a general explanation of the subject matter of the proposal and of the text thereof in the relevant Bill and any other information relating to those matters that the Commission considers appropriate, and
(ii) a statement or statements concerning the proposal to which the referendum relates and setting out the arguments for and against the proposal, and the statements shall be fair to all interests concerned;
(b) to publish and distribute such statements in such manner and by such means including the use of any electronic media as the Commission considers most likely to bring them to the attention of the electorate;
(c) to foster and promote and, where appropriate, to facilitate debate or discussion in a manner that is fair to all interests concerned in relation to the proposal aforesaid.
(2) The Commission shall have all such powers as it considers necessary or expedient for the performance of its functions including, but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the following powers: (a) to prepare, publish and distribute brochures, leaflets, pamphlets and posters, and
(b) to distribute the statements aforesaid to each Talossan Citizen who may vote in a General Election
Section 4: If the Commission is established before the passing of the Bill containing the proposal or proposals concerned to amend the Organic Law, the Commission shall not publish any statement under section three before such passing.
Section 5: Any citizen, body or party may make a submission to the Commission in relation to the proposal the subject of the referendum within such time as the Commission may specify.
Section 6: The following shall be absolutely privileged:
(a) documents of the Commission, and documents of its members connected with the Commission or its functions, wherever published;
(b) reports of the Commission, wherever published;
(c) statements made in any form at meetings or sittings of the Commission by its members or officials and such statements wherever published subsequently;
(d) submissions made to the Commission under section 5
Section 7: The Commission shall, upon the announcement of the Official Referendum Result by the Secretary of State, dissolve and hand over to the Royal Archivist all documents and statements it issued or published.
Uréu q'estadra så,
The Hon. Litz Cjantscheir, ChRTB, MC, RUMP, CZ