Sarah Millard
The Right Honourable Sarah Millard | |
|---|---|
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| Prime Minister of Scalizagasti | |
| Assumed office 12 August 2016 | |
| President | Paul Kruig |
| Preceded by | Gary Biyende |
| Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure | |
| In office 12 August 2016 – 14 August 2020 | |
| Prime Minister | Herself |
| Preceded by | David Mestakos |
| Succeeded by | Sun Hae-cheol |
| Leader of the Social Democratic Party | |
| Assumed office 22 January 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Laura Hannasuya (interim) |
| Member of Parliament | |
| Assumed office 9 August 2012 | |
| Constituency | Bewundal East |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 February 1981 Garor City, Torlonia, Scalizagasti |
| Political party | SDP (Since 1997) |
| Domestic partner | Marc Millard |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | University of Torlonia, Bewundal University |
Sarah Millard (born 12 February 1981) is a Scalizagastian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Scalizagasti since 2016 and the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Scalizagasti since 2015. She has also served as the Member of Parliament for Bewundal East since 2012. She is Scalizagasti's youngest Prime Minister, elected at the age of 35.
She was born in Garor City, where she attended the Oparle District High School. While studying at the University of Torlonia, she was elected president of the University of Torlonia Social Democrats. After graduating from university, she began her professional political career as a policy advisor to Bewundal mayor John Ammoth.
Millard became the second-youngest leader of the Social Democrats at 33, only behind 32 year old Max Sormann. She won the 2015 leadership race on the second ballot with 51% of the vote. As leader, she led her party to second place in the 2016 election, winning 154 seats. This was the best electoral result for the SDP in over a decade since the corruption scandals that plagued the party in the mid-2000s. The SDP was able to form a coalition government instead of the first-place Revolutionary Republican Party (who had 160 seats), which some attribute to Millard's excellent leadership and cooperative skills. In the 2020 election, she led the SDP to win 255 seats, one of the largest victories for a party in Scalizagasti's history and only four seats short of an absolute majority.
Ideologically, Millard has been described as a social democrat and a progressive. She supports investments into public transit, universal postsecondary education, social housing, and other similar policies.
Early life, education, and family
Sarah Millard was born on 12 February 1981 in Garor City, Torlonia. She is the daughter of Lisa (née Elron), a secretary, and Gustav Millard, a high school teacher. Her mother was born in Garor City and her father was born in Tilmington, a town in northern Ostrawijan, both of ethnic Scalizagastian descent. Her two times maternal great-grandfather, Jean Marcier, was the mayor of Garor City. Millard was born in the Garor City Hospital and grew up in the Oparle neighbourhood, an area of Garor City that had a mixed Torlu and Scalizagastian ethnic population. Millard has one brother, Robert, who is a practicing dentist in Masfassen.
Millard went to Oparle District High School, graduating in 1999. After high school, she studied at the University of Torlonia in downtown Garor City for her degree in economics, graduating in 2003. She moved to Bewundal, the capital of Scalizagasti, in 2004 while pursuing her master's degree in public policy at Bewundal University. After graduating in 2005 with a degree in public policy, she got a job with the municipal government and served as a policy advisor for mayor John Ammoth. Notably, she spearheaded the movement to improve and revitalize the public transportation of Bewundal to make commuting easier and reduce the emissions of the city.
Millard has been married to her partner Marc (né Teskey) since 12 November 2013. The Millards have one daughter, Laurel Millard, who was born in 2014. While her family was Auldenist growing up, Millard has said that she and her husband are not "not actively religious." They also own a dog, Jimbo, which was adopted in 2011 while the Millards were still dating.
Early Political Career
Youth activism
Millard was a supporter of the Social Democrats from a young age. While still a high school student, she joined the Social Democratic Youth Association during the 1997 election. She eventually became a promiment figure within the youth organization due to her outspoken nature and optimism for the party's future. At age 18, two years after joining the youth association, the then-president of the association described her as a "rising star within the party."
While studying for her bachelor's in economics at the University of Torlonia, she became president of the University of Torlonia Social Democrats. She was an active community organizer and an advocate for affordable public transportation and labour rights. During the 2000 SDP leadership convention, Millard was a staffer for SDP MP Herbert Tenare's campaign. Although Tenare would lose to eventual Prime Minister Blaine Blaikie, Millard described the experience as "generally informative and also quite enjoyable."
Bewundal policy advisor
After getting her master's degree from Bewundal University in 2005, Millard worked in public policy with the municipality of Bewundal. She remained an advocate for labour rights and public transportation, and would serve as a key advisor to mayor John Ammoth during the Bewundal Transit infrastructure upgrades in 2009-2011.
Entrance into Parliament
Ammoth, a member of the SDP himself, pushed Millard to run for office. As a prominent member of the community with strong connections to both the municipal government and the public, she received numerous high-profile endorsements when seeking the nomination for her constituency. Millard was nominated 2nd in the SDP party list for Bewundal East in preparation for the 2012 Scalizagastian federal election. For a newcomer to federal politics, this was a very high placement, especially since Bewundal East is a traditional SDP stronghold. Despite the weak perfomance of the SDP federally and the surprising second-place finish by the Greens, she managed to win her seat.
In Parliament, she was made SDP Critic for Youth Affairs due to her work in the Social Democratic Youth Association, where she often feuded with Minister of Youth Affairs Joshua So. She co-sponsored a bill in 2013 that would cover 80% of public transportation fees for youth, students, and the elderly. The proposal was defeated 234-257, with support from most parties except for the governing NSP and LCA. In 2014, she was a vocal opponent of education cuts that would slash the federal budget for clubs and extracurriculars, calling them "ridiculous austerity measures by a nearsighted government who were a disgrace to all students." Her Parliamentary debate criticizing the cuts went viral online and she gained national notoriety and popularity.
SDP Leadership
2015 leadership election
Following the sudden death of SDP leader David Keyes in 2014, the party scrambled to find a replacement in time for the next election in 2016. There was speculation among her supporters online that she would replace Keyes because she was one of the better-known federal MPs from the nearly-defunct party. Although she rarely spoke of matters such as foreign affairs or defense, her policies on education, transportation, and infrastructure were a highlight of her career before and after becoming a politician.
On 1 August 2014, she confirmed these rumours with a rally in Bewundal declaring her intent to run for leadership of the party. Her main competitor was Marcel Nystrom, the former mayor of Hesmaron City and sitting MP for Hesmaron who had declared candidacy a week earlier. Her campaign team was composed of political allies with whom she had worked before. These included her senior advisor, Frank Slipp, whom she met while working for Bewundal mayor John Ammoth, and her campaign manager, Kaitlyn Gerome, who was a fellow volunteer on Herbert Tenare's leadership campaign 14 years prior.
In the beginning, her campaign was small and she was trailing Nystrom in support. A poll released on 10 October 2014 had her at 15% support (33% among decided voters), seven poins behind Nystrom at 22%. However, her fortunes turned around following the first two leadership debates, taking a 4 point lead over Nystrom with 33% support (43% among decided voters). She received endorsements from numerous high-profile party members, including former leader Max Sormann, former candidate and cabinet minister Don Winters, Bewundal mayor John Ammoth, Governor Kieran Ashwath of Torlonia, and 19 out of 30 sitting SDP MPs.
Millard would become leader of the party on 22 January 2015, winning 51.3% of the vote on the second ballot.
2016 federal election
On August 12, 2016, Millard led the Social Democrats into a strong second-place finish. With 154 out of 516 seats and 26.0% of the vote, they were only six seats behind the Revolutionary Republican Party. Under Millard's leadership, the Social Democrats gained 123 seats, reversing the twelve years of decay faced by the party since 2004.
The party did best in Central and South Scalizagasti, winning 8 out of 22 seats in Nohachewa and 14 out of 43 seats in Bewundal. The party, alongside the RRP, made gains in every single riding. This massive growth came at the expense of the New Scalizagasti Party and Liberal-Conservative Alliance who formed a coalition government after the 2012 election, as well as the Greens who formed Official Opposition. The three parties lost a collective 207 seats, while the RRP and SDP gained 228.
While the SDP did not win the most seats, their miraculous recovery was the subject of Millard's victory speech. Millard immediately began negotiations with the other parties in Parliament, forming a multi party centre-left government with the Greens, Progressive People's Party, Labour and Socialist Party, and Palyrian Left. Millard promised to reverse the unpopular austerity measures of the previous government as a part of her economic rebuilding plan. After the coalition was announced, RRP leader Martel Garon conceded the election and was proclaimed Leader of the Opposition. Prime Minister Gary Biyende and Deputy Prime Minister Ernest Fennel both resigned as leaders of the NSP and LCA respectively due to their defeat.
Prime Minister
First Term (2016–2020)
A joint agreement between the Social Democrats, Greens, PPP, PL, and LSP created a 262 seat coalition government (259 seats are needed for a majority). As part of the agreement, Green Party leader Thomas Smith was made Deputy Prime Minister and the Greens were given four cabinet portfolios. As a minor party, the LSP was only given one cabinet portfolio, the Ministry of Housing. The PPP and PL did not formally enter the coalition government; they supported the government in a confidence and supply arrangement in return for the enactment of certain policies.
Alongside her role as Prime Minister, Millard was also given the portfolio for the Ministry of Transportation. Although she was the SDP Critic for Youth Affairs rather than for Transportation before the election, she justified the position with her prior experience in creating public transportation policy. The Ministry of Youth Affairs, meanwhile, would be given to Green MP Sameer McCaul. Notably, Millard is Scalizagasti's youngest Prime Minister as well as the third female Prime Minister.
The investiture vote was passed with 262 MPs in favour, 246 against, and eight abstentions.
Domestic Policy
After taking office, Millard immediately reversed numerous policies enacted by the previous Biyende government. Budget cuts to education, healthcare, and public transportation were immediately undone. Millard was criticized by LCA leader Ernest Fennel for "reckless tax-and-spend policies" after a proposed increase to income and corporate tax rates, which were lowered in 2006 by the Rock government. In 2017, the federal corporate tax rate increased was finalized, gradually increasing the rate frm 11% to 17% over four years. Including provincial corporate tax rates, the maximum rate in Scalizagasti would be 32%. A planned privatization of Scalizarail was also halted.
On 30 July 2017 the Millard government announced their plans to implement universal post-secondary education. The government would gradually subsidize tuition costs, with the eventual goal of total coverage by 2023.
Infrastructure was identified as a key pillar of government policy by Millard during her victory speech. A 10-year electrification plan was created to convert all of Scalizagasti's publicly-owned trains and buses to reach a carbon neutral fleet by 2027. She also introduced a 60% public transportation subsidy for students and the elderly, although this was lower than the 80% subsidy promised by Millard during the election campaign. On 24 March 2019 Millard announced a national broadband infrastructure plan, which seeks to ensure all households have reliable access to high-speed internet by 2030, especially in rural Scalizagasti.
Millard was criticized for raising the specific Mining Tax in January 2020. Industry leaders claimed the tax increase would decrease competitivity and hurt workers, and Opposition Leader Martel Garon held numerous rallies and press interviews condemning the policy. The Millard government had earlier been in controversy with the mining industry when Green MP and Minister of Energy John Ardmunsen said that mining was "hell-bent on destroying the planet" in 2018. Ardmunsen would later apologize for his remarks, and remained in Cabinet.
Millard supports the decriminalization of most drugs. In 2016 she legalized cannabis for recreational consumption (medical cannabis was legalized a decade prior).
Foreign Policy
Millard would continue a longstanding policy of cooperation with the neighbouring country of Hapria. Relations between Scalizagasti and Hapria had been warming since the 1980s.
In 2018 Millard invested 500 million scaliz into the military in order to modernize its peacekeeping capabilities. In the same year, Scalizagastian peacekeepers were deployed in Sernjarn (a country in the Neutral Territories) following the outbreak of the Yudeno Insurgency. The peacekeepers would be recalled in April 2020 as a result of the CAVID-19 Pandemic in Scalizagasti.
CAVID-19 Pandemic
Scalizagastian health authorites were first notified of CAVID-19 on 24 February by Kigwari, where over 1000 cases were documented. On 26 February, Prime Minister Millard announced that all travel between Scalizagasti and Kigwari would be restricted. Following the advice of health officials, Millard also imposed a mandatory quarantine on all travelers entering Scalizagasti regardless of their point of departure. While some, such as NSP leader Les Erlosto, criticized these measures as being unneccesary and extreme, it was later determined that this quick action mitigated the early spread of the virus.
The first case in Scalizagasti was reported on 14 March, which experts believe were caused by an undetected asympotmatic carrier of the virus. By 18 March, there were 27 reported cases at which point a national lockdown was imposed and all non-essential travel restricted. ScalHealth was given an addition 4 billion dollars in funding for a rigorous virus testing and contact-tracing program, which helped track the spread of the virus and prevent new cases. Containment measures were praised by international medical organizations for their effectiveness, as specific local clusters were targeted, tested, and quarantined. Hesmaron City, for example, was completely sealed off from the rest of Hesmaron following a small outbreak to prevent spread outside of the city.
An effective government campaign saw Scalizagastian society support the pandemic relief efforts. Daily briefings from the Prime Minister and Chief Medical Officer kept citizens informed and aware of new restrictions or relief programs. Programs such as free masks, wage & rent subsidies, and SPEB (Scalizagastian Pandemic Emergency Benefit) helped slow the spread of the virus and lessen the economic damage from lockdown.
As a result of this strong leadership and quick action, the national lockdown was removed in July after no new infections were reported for 20 days in a row. However, the strict border restrictions remained in place in order to prevent new cases from entering the country. When the election occured on 13 August, there were only 2160 cases with 45 deaths.
Second Term (2020–present)
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Millard led the SDP to an even greater victory in 2020, getting 44.7% of the popular vote and 255 seats. Falling only four seats short of an absolute majority, the landslide SDP victory was the largest since 1997 when the Republicans won exactly 50% of the seats (one short of a majority). The Social Democrats formed a confidence-and-supply arrangement with the Greens, and the Greens received only one cabinet portfolio (Ministry of the Environment). Green leader Thomas Smith lost his position as Deputy Prime Minister, and for the first time in over twenty years the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister were from the same party. Analysts have concluded that the SDP landslide was caused by the swift and decisive response to the CAVID-19 pandemic, as well as the personal popularity of Millard.
The investiture vote was passed with 314 MPs in favour, 181 against, and 21 abstentions.
Green Shift
During the election, Millard unveiled the SDP's comprehensive climate plan. In her first term Millard was criticized for not doing enough with regards to climate change, which she admitted was part of the reason for this renewed focus. As part of the Green Shift, the government would work with provinces and cities to invest in public transportation to reduce reliance on personal automobiles. Furthermore, the few fossil fuel power plants would be replaced by sustainable alternatives, and new solar, hydro, and nuclear power stations would be built. The carbon tax implemented in 2008 by the Biyende government would be overhauled, and on 1 January 2021 the price was raised from $40 per tonne of carbon dioxide to $65 per tonne, with a plan to gradually increase the rate up to $180 per tonne by 2030.
Electoral Record
Bewundal East, 2020
| Party | Popular Vote | Seats | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | Change | Total | Change | ||
| Social Democratic Party (SDP) | 61.0 | +20.7 | 9 | +3 | |
| Revolutionary Republican Party (RRP) | 10.5 | -4.8 | 2 | 0 | |
| Green Party (GRN) | 10.4 | -11.7 | 1 | -3 | |
| New Scalizagasti Party (NSP) | 6.7 | +0.5 | 1 | 0 | |
| Labour and Socialist Party (LSP) | 5.6 | -3.1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Patriotic Defense Movement (PDM) | 1.5 | -0.1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Liberal-Conservative Alliance (LCA) | 1.4 | -0.5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Aulden Democratic Party (ADP) | 0.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Progressive People's Party (PPP) | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Others/Independent | 1.9 | -1.0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 100.0 | – | 14 | – | |
Bewundal East, 2016
| Party | Popular Vote | Seats | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | Change | Total | Change | ||
| Social Democratic Party (SDP) | 40.3 | +11.9 | 6 | +2 | |
| Green Party (GRN) | 22.1 | +5.8 | 4 | +2 | |
| Revolutionary Republican Party (RRP) | 15.3 | +11.4 | 2 | +1 | |
| Labour and Socialist Party (LSP) | 8.7 | +1.5 | 1 | 0 | |
| New Scalizagasti Party (NSP) | 6.2 | -20.3 | 1 | -3 | |
| Liberal-Conservative Alliance (LCA) | 1.9 | -8.2 | 0 | -1 | |
| Patriotic Defense Movement (PDM) | 1.6 | -3.4 | 0 | -1 | |
| Aulden Democratic Party (ADP) | 0.6 | +0.2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Progressive People's Party (PPP) | 0.4 | -0.1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Others/Independent | 2.9 | +0.5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 100.0 | – | 14 | – | |
2015 SDP Leadership Election
| Candidate | First Ballot | Final Ballot | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |
| Sarah Millard | 63,305 | 45.3 | 71,628 | 51.3 |
| Marcel Nystrom | 48,332 | 34.6 | 52,803 | 37.8 |
| Oscar Yakobo | 12,416 | 8.9 | 14,602 | 10.5 |
| Saied Anwar | 8,380 | 6.0 | — | — |
| Alina Droste | 7,218 | 5.2 | — | — |
| (Exhausted) | 0 | 0.0 | 618 | 0.4 |
| Total | 139,651 | 100.0 | 139,651 | 100.0 |
Bewundal East, 2012
| Party | Popular Vote | Seats | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | Change | Total | Change | ||
| Social Democratic Party (SDP) | 28.4 | -4.7 | 4 | -1 | |
| New Scalizagasti Party (NSP) | 26.5 | +3.4 | 4 | +1 | |
| Green Party (GRN) | 16.3 | +13.3 | 2 | +2 | |
| Revolutionary Republican Party (RRP) | 3.9 | -6.1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Liberal-Conservative Alliance (LCA) | 10.1 | -5.1 | 1 | -1 | |
| Labour and Socialist Party (LSP) | 6.2 | -1.1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Patriotic Defense Movement (PDM) | 5.0 | +0.7 | 0 | 0 | |
| Progressive People's Party (PPP) | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Aulden Democratic Party (ADP) | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Reform Party (REF) | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Others/Independent | 2.4 | -0.4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 100.0 | – | 14 | – | |