September 29th, 1893 — Hogsmeade Hall

You can post your answers to the questions you wish to answer at any time before the thread closes on 10/19/23. You must answer at least three questions to count this debate for IC participation points, but DO NOT have to answer every question. (Although you can if you wish!)

Your character may rebut the answer of other candidates in up to TWO posts separate from their original answers, and may respond ONCE to rebuttals to their own answers in a separate post. The debate format does NOT allow for extended back-and-forth and anyone who violates the rebuttal rules will be removed from the debate IC. Rebuttals (and responses to rebuttals) are time-limited at sixty seconds, as are answers — if you suspect your character's answers are too lengthy, follow the "you know it when you see it" policy.

(TL;DR - you may post a maximum of four times in this thread.)

If your candidate is not announced IC by 9/28, they may not participate.

Ross announced the start of the debate, and announced a minute of silence to honor those fallen. In the minute, he considered. He was nervous about the rebuttals, but honestly, removing people from the debate stage would be an improvement on his week. Ross had more freedom in generating the questions for this debate; the League trusted him, and he had only agreed to moderate if he had more power over the questions. He'd guided magical Britain through plenty of crises, after all.

He was in a mood, with Urquart dead. Ross wished that he could have talked to the former Minister about this. He wanted to offer his home to Urquart's remaining daughters and son — but he had not figured out how yet.

The moment ended. "I urge you all to remember, today, that we lost at least seventeen magical lives," Ross said, "And at least thirty-five muggle lives. This debate is about politics, yes — and I encourage you all to speak on what sets you apart from your competitors — but it is also about ensuring that you are prepared to make decisions that impact people's lives, health, and well-being."

He cleared his throat. "Let us begin."

He asked the questions of the candidates:

"Magical disasters that occur in muggle areas require collaboration with our partners, the Prime Minister and the Queen," Ross said. "How would you manage diplomatic relations with these partners?"

"How would you organize and work with multiple departments in the case of an emergency?"

"What adjustments, if any, would you make to our policy on the import and export of magical creatures, including dragons?"

"What should the consequences be for those found to violate our import laws, and how would you handle working with foreign magical governments when their citizens are discovered to have committed a crime in Britain?"

"What did you learn from the September 14th incident?"

"The role of the Minister involves guiding magical Britain through periods of mourning after a loss of life," Ross said, "How would you approach this, and what do you believe is the proper way to do so?"

Finally, the Minister asked: "Why should magical Britain listen to you in a disaster?"

Timoleon Maxime Jude Wright Lionel Lupin Bernard Prewett Ozymandias Dempsey Aldous Crouch Sweetie Whitledge Emerett Picardy

  

Oz was nervous. He did not feel prepared to speak well on the subject of dragons (though it was such a loaded subject at present that even another week of preparation probably would not have left him feeling adequately educated). He was not looking forward to the possibility of rebuttals. He was good in an argument, generally, but arguments generally did not have rules preventing him from getting the last word in or leaving when he had the upper hand. He had determined to retain the intellectual high ground here and not be seen as someone who engaged in petty bickering... but if Whitledge leveled smug disdain in his direction he was not sure that he could manage it.

"Magical disasters that occur in muggle areas require collaboration with our partners, the Prime Minister and the Queen. How would you manage diplomatic relations with these partners?"

"If the Queen and Prime Minister trust us to keep their citizens safe, we are safe from their intervention. To that end, communication with them should be focused on their needs as a government first and ours second — and in situations like this one, on making all reasonable reassurances that we will return their community to the status quo as expeditiously as possible."

"How would you organize and work with multiple departments in the case of an emergency?"

"Being able to delegate tasks and trust that those tasks are carried out is key," Oz answered. "And that trust comes from establishing excellent working relationships with each department and building up department heads and squad heads to lead with confidence each and every day. I witnessed not just competence but extraordinary efforts from the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes after our last debate, and I'm sure other departments shone just as brightly during the disaster relief efforts. They should have the full confidence of the Minister to do their jobs to the best of their ability, and they ought to know from the outset that they have it."

"What adjustments, if any, would you make to our policy on the import and export of magical creatures, including dragons?"

"I would caution anyone against making hasty or reactionary changes to our policies based on recent events. A review of our protocols and their enforcement methods is certainly in order, and perhaps additional restrictions, but if we make it too difficult for importers to transport creatures legally we only open ourselves up to an increase in illegal transport and in incidents like these."

"What should the consequences be for those found to violate our import laws, and how would you handle working with foreign magical governments when their citizens are discovered to have committed a crime in Britain?"

"This depends heavily on whether the foreign government is willing and able to hold their citizens accountable. Every country has crime, to some degree, but if our allies are as committed as we are to the safety of international trade and magical communities everywhere, we can trust them to handle violations as we would. In cases where the government is not able or willing, we must be ready to penalize that country — through sanctions, restrictions, or even outright denial of shipping access — for the safety of our own communities."

"What did you learn from the September 14th incident?"

There was a voice in the back of his head saying something rash, which he had to quiet before he could answer. "I learned many things during the incident and the aftermath, but one that has stuck with me most of all is how efficient our public servants, at the hospitals and the Ministry, can be when the need is great. Our community demonstrated great strength and resilience in the face of the unimaginable, and despite the lingering effects of the tragedy I believe we should take pride in this."

"The role of the Minister involves guiding magical Britain through periods of mourning after a loss of life. How would you approach this, and what do you believe is the proper way to do so?"

"This is a difficult question," Oz allowed, with a hesitation. His thoughts were on his mother and Lycoris, and on the what ifs that his family had narrowly avoided. "Mourning is a deeply personal thing; it's hard to answer the proper way to approach any aspect of it. Personally... I prefer action," he said, swallowing. "So for those like me, I believe there should be positive momentum after a tragedy — something to which citizens can apply themselves in order to better prepare us for the next event, or to ensure one never happens again. Not as an obligation, for those who need time to grieve, but as an option for those who cannot sit still."

"Why should magical Britain listen to you in a disaster?"

"Because I'm not afraid to make decisions when it matters, but I'm also unafraid to acknowledge when the decision is best suited to someone with more expertise. There's no room for ego in a crisis, and I'll ensure the right people are in position to make the right decisions, regardless of circumstances."

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MJ is the light of my life <3

To say the time since the last debate had been stressful was... something of an understatement. Still, Aldous Crouch stood as poised and polished as always as he moved to address the crowd.

"How would you organize and work with multiple departments in the case of an emergency?"

"The Ministry of Magic is a train," the wizard begin, after a soft clearing of his throat. "To most, it simply works, does what it was designed to do with little to no effort from its passengers. Its department heads, however, are each a trained engineer, one who understands how the different parts of the whole work together in order to propel it forward. No one can reach this level within the Ministry of Magic who does not understand and appreciate that. The Department of International Magical Co-Operation is one in particular that must work in tandem with its compatriotes. International legal matters, sport, innovation—all are aided, to degree, by this department. I do not believe myself qualified to organize and work with multiple departments, I have proven myself to be; it is a skill I possess already, not one I must develop if elected."

"What should the consequences be for those found to violate our import laws, and how would you handle working with foreign magical governments when their citizens are discovered to have committed a crime in Britain?"

This, like the one before it, was an easy question for Aldous to answer: stiffer enforcement of existing policies and reference to the fact that he already worked closely with foreign entities; these talking points rolled so easily off his tongue he scarcely paid attention to the precise verbiage.

"What adjustments, if any, would you make to our policy on the import and export of magical creatures, including dragons?"

"If elec—no," Aldous corrected himself. "Regardless of who is elected to succeed Minister Ross, immigration and importation are both in need of overhaul. I would encourage our Wizengamot to develop talent in and implement a customs programme with more teeth and a broader reach, not just for the rare occasions of tragedy but for the every day—cursed items brought from the Orient, unlicenced "pets" from Africa or the West Indies, all are risks to our populace."

"Why should magical Britain listen to you in a disaster?"

"It is in times of disaster, I think, that we see who we really are—each and every one of us," Aldous began. "During the events of 14th September, we all were forced to discover who we were in a crisis, and many of my fellow candidates performed quite admirably," the wizard continued with a polite nod to the other candidates. Certainly not all, mind you; Miss Whitledge's foolish invitation still rather stood out. "Both publicly and privately, I carried out my own responsibilities during the incident to the letter, regardless of any personal hesitations I might have felt. After all, it is either a foolish man or a dutiful one who heads towards danger in times of trouble," he allowed a small chuckle, "and I do not think I have ever been called a fool. Mine is and has been a weighty responsibility, one that I have proven equal to. I intend to do just the same if given the confidence of the Wizarding community to serve as Minister of Magic."

  

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —