Secretaries of The Royal Court oversee administration and projects agreed upon by the court. They also work in an advisory role to the court and by extension the King or currently, the Regent.
Third. As in, this is the third in the series of interviews with the Secretaries of the Royal Court. This one is with Secretary of Internal Affairs, Earl Michael van Rook. Contrary to what I thought when I first heard of the Secretary of Internal Affairs, then it is not some committee where clandestine meetings happens to discuss top secret stuff. No, its just about the stuff going on inside the Kingdom of Stormwind.
H. Lester:
Earl Michael van Rook, newly appointed Secretary of Internal Affairs, can you tell me, and the readers a bit about what your job entails?
Secretary van Rook:
As the Secretary of Internal Affairs I am the executive representative that is responsible for a wide spectrum of subjects within the Kingdom's borders. I am to craft and help craft motions, to guide the policies and actions of the Office of Internal Affairs, and to aid citizens with their petitions regarding this area.
H. Lester:
Right, that is the official posh version. Perhaps you can help me and the readers with some examples?
Secretary van Rook:
Of course, Mister Lester. Perhaps a few concrete examples would be in order.
H. Lester:
Please.
Secretary van Rook:
Last session we managed to enact a few major projects. The first of which was the Kingdom Census, in which we attempted to count a large portion of the denizens of the kingdom to improve the efficiency and efficacy of government. Another one of the projects that we managed to bring to fruition was the Queen Tiffin Ellerian Memorial Foundation, a third party organisation that is able to offer grants to individuals, businesses, and organizations doing charitable work in areas or with populations that have suffered a recent severe setback. But these are not the only things we do...
Earlier this year, for example, there was a problem with a certain organisation known as the Browncloaks that was... less than friendly to our fellow Alliance member races. The Office of Internal Affairs, in cooperation with the Office of Justice, coordinated the proper removal of this organisation from our streets reducing the number of attacks of individuals of these member races significantly.
H. Lester:
Speaking of things in previous terms - unlike the other three then this is new to you - at least as the one in charge - but Id still like to ask what you consider your biggest success and biggest failure in the past in your political work?
Secretary van Rook:
Of course... I would say that my biggest success for me was the implementation of the Queen Tiffin Ellerian Memorial Foundation. Something which I felt very passionate about and something that I championed heavily. It was then also, with the good graces of Former Secretary Dame Bridget Halliday, that I was allowed to take the lead on that project.
My biggest failure... Well, I think I would have to highlight a project that was tandem to the Foundation: We had intended to start recurring markets and faires where those small businesses that were suffering due to the Scourge Attacks could get stall for free and sell their wares directly. These would also have been stands for local businesses and organisations looking to hire new hands. Sadly this was delegated late in the process and due to complications never came of the ground.
Clearly we were intending to aid both the businesses and those who were or had become jobless. Alas to no avail.
H. Lester:
Where does the failure to bring more street food vendors to the streets of Stormwind rank?
Secretary van Rook:
It is my personal conviction that a project is first a failure when there is no future for it anymore, Mister Lester.
H. Lester:
A reasonable perspective and one which brings me hope.
H. Lester:
Any thoughts on a deputy secretary?
Secretary van Rook:
None as of yet. I have only recently taken office and I want to see which projects resonate with the courtiers and then to find someone I can both cooperate and spar well with.
H. Lester:
How about members of your committee, will these be picked purely amongst courtiers or are you looking at a wider group?
Secretary van Rook:
Unless otherwise specified I invite everyone to join me and the other courtiers for the Internal Affairs Committee meetings.
The more thoughts I can get, the more unified a motion we can propose. The higher, in the end, our efficiency is going to be.
The future, in three points
H. Lester:
Monday at the court meeting, you listed your ideas for focus points for the coming term, could you repeat those for our readers?
Secretary van Rook:
Of course. The three policy points for the session dedicated to the theme of "Humanity" are the following:
One: Economic Policy Initiative. As a continuation of the last session, it is the wish of the Office of Internal Affairs that the EPI continues it’s work in the push for recovery, development, and progress within the economy of the Kingdom.
Two: Neutral Race Policy. The Office of Internal Affairs proposes a cooperative project between themselves and the Offices of Foreign Affairs and Justice to lay down in law the rights and plights of neutral races that visit, or even live within, the Kingdom of Stormwind. Article continues after the ad.
Three: Regional Outreach Programme. The final point is focussed on the participation of the outer regions in the governance of the Kingdom, especially those citizens who have a need to petition the Royal Court, but are not able to. Through this the Office of Internal Affairs wants to increase the participation of the citizenry with the Court and it brings hope for a more unified Kingdom.
H. Lester:
And which of these three tasks do you expect will cause you the most trouble?
Secretary van Rook:
I would say that both the second and the third are very challenging, however while the Neutral Race Policy is very much an internal conundrum which will challenge our lawmakers and policy crafters to it's fullest, I would - if pressed - have to go with the last point. The Regional Outreach Programme.
H. Lester:
And why is this?
Secretary van Rook:
The challenge with the Regional Outreach Programme is that there are isolated groups in the outer regions who believe that The Royal Court only exists for the City of Stormwind and that we, as a Court, only come to them if we are to take something which is theirs away. Clearly this is not the case. We care about each region equally and wish to aid all those that need our guidance or our aid. I understand that there are those that will point at the past, but I assure you that this Secretary, and this Court, have no intention to limit themselves to Stormwind City.
One of the key reasons for this project is because we want to be able to hear -all- denizens, and not just those who have the luck of living in the city or those with the wealth of coin and time to travel here to speak to us on a Monday night.
H. Lester:
So its about changing perceptions and diplomacy?
Secretary van Rook:
I would not particularly agree with that, Mister Lester. As I said, the key to this session is "Humanity", and I don't see that as pertaining to the race we both happen to be a part of. I see that through it's other definition. The Royal Court may rule from the King's Keep within a walled city, but that does not mean that we are blind to the problems that people have out in the regions. As you are well aware, I myself grew up in Westfall. I have seen hardship, I have lived hardship. For me the Regional Outreach Programme is about making connections, sharing out hardships and our bounties, and to a cooperation between all the people of the Kingdom. It is my vision that, at the end of this, we are able to pose a more unified front against those that wish ill upon the people of this Kingdom and that of the Alliance - be they from outside or within.
H. Lester:
But that does not change that it is a matter of changing their perception is it not? it is about convincing them Stormwind exists for them as well?
Secretary van Rook:
Changing perception both ways, Mister Lester. While the regions may feel Stormwind doesn't exist for them, it must not go unnoticed that there are many within the city that think the regions are both physically and mentally far away. - Just last week, I spoke to a young lady in Trade District who was buying some fruit and wondered where all the apples came from. She had no idea she was holding Elwynn grown apples from a local orchard.
H. Lester:
Allow me to play devils advocate for a moment. Does it matter? I spoke to Sir Cadogan earlier on the subject of the North and how up there they tend to see Stormwind as a stepdad who tries to control them while not being their true dad. Why should Stormwind spend time, energy, money and even our soldier's lives on regions who wants little to do with us?
Secretary van Rook:
While I can not speak for the intentions and approach of the Secretary of Military Affairs and War, I can speak on behalf of myself and why I can not agree to that particular statement even in the slightest.
These are citizens of the Crown, they live in the lands of His Royal Highness, King Anduin Wrynn, and they contribute to the Kingdom through the economy and trade. They are as much worthy of the King's grace and care as we are. In this city there are nobles, there are clergymen and -women, there are merchants, and there are those sadly homeless and jobless. Do you, Mister Lester, honestly believe that anyone within this city is more deserving of the bounties and rights that we enjoy within this kingdom than those in Westfall? Redridge Mountains? - No, I say. - To abandon them would not only be inhumane. It would be a blemish on my personal morals and values and my personal heritage. That is not a sort of Office of Internal Affairs that I would stand for.
H. Lester:
Of course I would not. But it gave me a good answer to end the interview on.
I think that is all I got, I have offered the others a chance to make one final statement to the readers, so is there anything you would like to add?
Secretary van Rook:
Impact your life, join us for the Internal Affairs Committee meetings.
This leaves us with three down and one to go.
>After all four I'll be doing a fifth article with opinions and statements from not only myself, but also citizens and experts. If you already know you want to make your opinion(s) known, then get in touch sooner rather than later.