Bill: Pending P.B. 03-009 | Public Opinion Act

[CoolCat]

A
BILL
TO
Allow Parliament To Initiate Public Opinion Referendums
​

1 - About this Act
(1) This Act
(a) may be cited as ‘Public Opinion Act’ or ‘PuOA’.
(b) may be numbered as P.B.03-009.
(c) shall be enacted once given royal assent.
(d) has been authored by Speaker Rubilubi55.
(e) has been co-sponsored by Deputy Prime Minister SeminoTV and Leader of the Opposition Pepecuu.

2 - General Provision
(1) Parliament has the power to obligate the Ministry of Internal Affairs to hold non-binding public opinion referendums on a matter specified as outlined within this act. A supermajority of votes in parliament is required to do so.
(2) Voting on such public opinion referendum shall last as specified by parliament but not less than 24 hours.
(3) Every citizen meeting the outlined requirements to vote have the right to vote in such elections.
(a) Parliament may allow more people to cast their vote as long as this is general, so not for the individual case and prescribed within the motion.

3 - Agreement Or Disagreement Referendum
(1) A referendum on agreement or disagreement has an "Aye" and a "Nay" option. Normally voting lasts for 48 hours.

4 - Detailed Public Opinion Referendum
(1) A detailed public opinion referendum may have as many options as parliament deems appropriated. Those options shall be stated in the original motion. Normally voting lasts for 48 hours.
(a) Parliament may obligate that citizens can vote for more than one option or rank their choices.

5 - Candidate Referendum
(1) A candidate referendum is a public opinion referendum in which citizens may nominate themselves to be an option in the referendum.
(2) A nomination period shall be opened where any citizen may nominate themselves. This nomination period shall last for 48 hours.
(a) Parliament may regulate who is able to nominate themselves.
(3) After the nomination period concludes a voting period is started. Normally voting period lasts for 24 hours.
(a) Parliament may obligate that citizens can vote for more than one option or rank their choices.

6 - Results
(1) The Ministry of Internal Affairs shall announce the raw election data to the Parliament within 24 hours of the voting period concluding.
(a) For reason of privacy the Ministry of Internal Affairs is obligated to remove the time stamps and the ballot numbers as well as randomize the ballots order.
(2) Parliament may obligate the Ministry of Internal Affairs to count the ballots through a system defined within the motion.

 

[CoolCat]

The Speaker
Through Their Speaker Rubilubi55
Moves to Pass
The Public Opinion Act
​

Parliament notes:
(1) There currently is no way for parliament to host referendums to get insights into the public opinion.
(2) The Constitutional Convention Committee has been established. A member of this committee shall be appointed "by election of citizens". There currently is no way for parliament to initiate such an election or referendum. This Act aims to fix that.

Based on this, Parliament decides:
(1) To implement a system in which the Parliament, through a supermajority of votes, may obligate the Ministry of Internal Affairs to hold referendums about a public matter.

To fulfil this, Parliament projects the following expenses:
(1) Payment of the Electoral Registars (MoIA). Expected to be around £300 for each referendum.

Further, Parliament projects the following administrative efforts:
(1) The Ministry of Internal Affairs must host such elections. This requires enough staff.
To implement the above, Parliament passes:

A
BILL
TO
Allow Parliament To Initiate Public Opinion Referendums
​

1 - About this Act
(1) This Act
(a) may be cited as ‘Public Opinion Act’ or ‘PuOA’.
(b) may be numbered as P.B.03-009.
(c) shall be enacted once given royal assent.
(d) has been authored by Speaker Rubilubi55.
(e) has been co-sponsored by Deputy Prime Minister SeminoTV and Leader of the Opposition Pepecuu.

2 - General Provision
(1) Parliament has the power to obligate the Ministry of Internal Affairs to hold non-binding public opinion referendums on a matter specified as outlined within this act. A supermajority of votes in parliament is required to do so.
(2) Voting on such public opinion referendum shall last as specified by parliament but not less than 24 hours.
(3) Every citizen meeting the outlined requirements to vote have the right to vote in such elections.
(a) Parliament may allow more people to cast their vote as long as this is general, so not for the individual case and prescribed within the motion.

3 - Agreement Or Disagreement Referendum
(1) A referendum on agreement or disagreement has an "Aye" and a "Nay" option. Normally voting lasts for 48 hours.

4 - Detailed Public Opinion Referendum
(1) A detailed public opinion referendum may have as many options as parliament deems appropriated. Those options shall be stated in the original motion. Normally voting lasts for 48 hours.
(a) Parliament may obligate that citizens can vote for more than one option or rank their choices.

5 - Candidate Referendum
(1) A candidate referendum is a public opinion referendum in which citizens may nominate themselves to be an option in the referendum.
(2) A nomination period shall be opened where any citizen may nominate themselves. This nomination period shall last for 48 hours.
(a) Parliament may regulate who is able to nominate themselves.
(3) After the nomination period concludes a voting period is started. Normally voting period lasts for 24 hours.
(a) Parliament may obligate that citizens can vote for more than one option or rank their choices.

6 - Results
(1) The Ministry of Internal Affairs shall announce the raw election data to the Parliament within 24 hours of the voting period concluding.
(a) For reason of privacy the Ministry of Internal Affairs is obligated to remove the time stamps and the ballot numbers as well as randomize the ballots order.
(2) Parliament may obligate the Ministry of Internal Affairs to count the ballots through a system defined within the motion.

 

[Capt11543]

AMENDMENT 01
Should the associated Motion to Amend pass, the Public Opinion Act shall be amended in the manner described below.
First, §2 - General Provision shall be amended in the following manner:

"2 - General Provision
(1) Parliament has the power to obligate the Ministry of Internal Affairs to hold non-binding public opinion referendums on a matter specified as outlined within this act. A supermajority simple majority of votes in parliament is required to do so."

Then, the following new section shall be inserted after §6 - Results:

"7 - Amendments to the Government Organization Act
(1) §26 - Referendums shall be amended in the following manner:

"26 - Referendums
(1) A referendum is a vote hosted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs relating to a Constitutional Amendment, a referendum to vacate the Monarchy, or other provision prescribed by law.
(2) A referendum may only begin through the authorization of an act of Parliament reaching a supermajority.
(2) A constitutional amendment referendum shall require a supermajority of the voting population to vote in favor to pass.
(3) A referendum to vacate the monarchy shall require greater than 80% of the voting population to vote in favor to pass."

 

[Capt11543]

AMENDMENT 02
Should the associated Motion to Amend pass, the Public Opinion Act shall be amended in the manner described below.
First, §2 - General Provision shall be amended in the following manner:

"2 - General Provision
(1) Parliament has the power to obligate the Ministry of Internal Affairs to hold non-binding public opinion referendums on a matter specified as outlined within this act. A supermajority simple majority of votes in parliament is required to do so."

Then, the following new section shall be inserted after §6 - Results:

"7 - Amendments to the Government Organization Act
(1) §26 - Referendums shall be amended in the following manner:

"26 - Referendums
(1) A referendum is a vote hosted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs relating to a Constitutional Amendment, a referendum to vacate the Monarchy, or other provision prescribed by law.
(2) A referendum may only begin through the authorization of an act of Parliament reaching a supermajority.
(2) A constitutional amendment referendum shall require a supermajority of votes cast to be AYE in order to pass.
(3) A referendum to vacate the monarchy shall require greater than 80% of the voting population votes cast to be AYE in order to pass."