Mr. Chair, Honorable Prime Minister and Cabinet, Chief Justice Kris Kringle and Associate Justices, and to the most honorable Legislators of the Assembly;
Thank you for being here, and a very happy Foundation Day to you all.
The South Pacific bears a tradition of perseverance. From fighting back in attempted coups d’etat to hashing out the finer details of controversial legislative proposals to the endless defense of natives against invading forces, we are the standard bearers of sheer tenacity in the face of adversity. This year saw that tradition tested, in both foreign and domestic realms, and it proudly stands resolute. We continue to bear the flag, and we hold our heads high, entering its 21st year, today.
2024 must be the year of succession, of passing the torch onto new players. They bring the ideas and energy needed to sustain our democratic experiment into these exciting new times. Care must be exercised, nonetheless, to ensure that democracy can still continue, and not be assaulted by bad-faith actors who would rather see us in chaos and disarray, in support of their own goals. If our culture is pushing our inheritors away, then let us redouble our efforts to adapt ourselves to the world that is.
With that said, I am pleased to report that, today, the State of the Coalition is strong. Our essential freedoms are not in jeopardy, the Special Forces are active and performing their missions well, citizens are holding their government to account, bridges are forming between roleplay and the rest of our large community, and our basic infrastructure is still operational and working well in the era of frontiers.
The Cabinet is reasserting its efforts towards the completion of policy goals approved by the voters in November. The Assembly’s Gazette and Concourse have been released and represent the gold standard for informational topics. HERO fought the zombie apocalypse as well as it could, and the survivors are eternally grateful. The Coalition marches on, and with pride, we serve in it well.
We thank everyone involved in NationStates’ Oldest Democracy for their efforts and time spent, and as always, we cannot wait to see what we can accomplish next.
Long live the Coalition! Long live the South Pacific!