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Moon-See Park (born 1 February 2949) is a Wiltshirian economist and politician who served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 3019 and has served as a member of the Wiltshire National Assembly twice between 3018 until 3019 and again since February 3020. Park was first elected as a member of the Liberal Alliance Party, joining the National Party following the official merger of the Liberal Alliance, the Green Party and Wiltshire First. He held his seat until the dissolution of the Wiltshire Assembly, but failed to win a seat in the new Wiltshire Parliament. Park was also a candidate for the Liberal Alliance leadership in 3019, narrowly losing to incumbent Ray Banes.
Following Wiltshire's independence from the New Corporate Republic in January 3020, Park was re-elected to the National Assembly as a member of the Liberal Conservative Party. During the occupation, Park worked for the Economist newspaper in Wiltshire, which was often the target of attacks by the NCR regime, led by Samuel Thune. Park remains active on the National Assembly as a vocal backbencher, championing freedom of speech causes as well as liberal-conservative economic views. Following Sonya Inyo's appointment as Prime Minister of Wiltshire, Park was appointed Leader of the National Assembly in the Sonya Inyo Ministry.
Early life
Park was born in south east Asia to Xi-See Park and Alice-See Park during the Vietnamese revolution. He moved from place to place, eventually ending up in Bangkok for his early education. Park was a great pianist, playing at recitals for his parents. He was an only child, and received everything his parents had to offer. This was, however, very little. The family was extremely poor and lived in the deepest levels of poverty. Park often remarks of time when he wouldn't have a real meal for days, and times when he had to wear broken shoes and clothes to school.
Despite this serious socio-economic setback, Park continued in education. He graduated from Highschool in Bangkok in 2966, when he received a scholarship to study in the University of Georgetown in Washington. Park moved across the world, leaving his parents and life behind, to study an economics course in the western world. He graduated Georgetown in 2970 and studied for a masters, and then a PhD, in economics. By 2975, Park was out of education and was looking for employment. He found an early career as a research assistant to a number of economists across Washington. Eventually, he rose to the rank of Financial Economics Professor at Pembroke University. However, he didn't find his calling until he took up activism.
Pro-tarkinist activism and career
Park left his job in 2981 to join the "Campaign for Racial Freedom", CFRF (as it would become known), was a loud and prominent political activist movement that was campaigning for the end of racial and inter-species segregation and for Terran membership of the new United Federation of Planets. Park took part in a number of civil unrests and protests, including the march on Paris and the Washington underground movement. Between 2981 and 2983, Park was arrested six times for civil disobedience. However, he remained committed to the cause of peaceful protest.
In 2982, when protestor Mai Winter shot and killed a Washington Police Officer, Park denounced the protestor and his actions immediately. While much of the CFRF was quiet on the matter, Park pushed for a movement-wide denouncement of the man and called for his conviction. When speaking to the press Park said the following;
"Winter's actions threaten our entire movement. If we cannot remain civilized amongst ourselves, how can we argue that civilized status should be granted to those beyond us."
Park continued to work with the CFRF until 2985. Following the reformation of the United Federation of Planets in 2985, the CFRF quickly faded into irrelevancy. Park returned to economics, serving the Ministry of Economic Development on Terra for a number of years. Following the events of the Federation/C.E. war, Park joined Jaresh Inyo's migration south. He lived in the Shipley settlement and campaigned for Wiltshirian unification. Following unification, Park took up a role at the Wiltshire Treasury.
In 3018, Park was elected to the Wiltshire National Assembly as a member of the Liberal Alliance Party. He served until November 3019. Following the NCR occupation ended, he was re-elected with the Liberal Conservative Party.
Political career
Backbench Assembly Member (3018-19)
Park was elected to represent the Shipley electorate in the National Assembly at the February 3018 Wiltshire General Election. He became the Liberal Alliance's spokesperson for Finance, under leader Ray Banes.
When the Liberal Alliance entered government with the Conservatives in January 3019, Park refused to take up a position in the Treasury, due to his "substantive" disagreements with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, James Brown. Instead, he remained on the backbenches.
He voted against the First Hill Ministry's attempts to repeal universal healthcare and, eventually, voted against the government entirely. Following the January 3019 election, Park was the only Liberal Alliance member not to lose their seat.
Leadership challenge (February 3019)
Following the Liberal Alliance's disastrous showing at the election, Park, as the only sitting Liberal Alliance assembly member, challenged the incumbent leader, Ray Banes, for the leadership. Park said in his announcement;
"The party is in ruins. The current leadership cannot continue or we may never recover."
As the only member of the Assembly caucus, he nominated himself for the role. He faced a membership ballot among Liberal Alliance party members. During the campaign, he made a number of speeches. However, Banes still had a strong hold on the party. Despite a strong performance, Park lost the leadership election by two-percentage-points. Banes continued on as leader until he was challenged again by Lucy Hobbs, who defeated Banes after a second election disaster.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury (3019)
Following the Liberal Alliance's merger with the Green Party and the Wiltshire First party in August 3020, Park joined the rest of the party under this new government, led by Fillmore Grey. However, Park was one of the few National members who supported Wiltshire's membership of the Novanite Federation. This made him the defacto leader of the minority "pro-novanite" faction of the party. When Jim Balfour went to form his government in September 3019, he appointed Park as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in order to attempt to appease this group.
Park served in the role until the November Parliamentary elections, in which he failed to win a seat due to the National party losing major sectors of support following the crisis' of September-November 3019.