Why I made this site.

1. Political debate needs better incentives.

We have a problem. Our parliamentary debates are full of empty, vacuous nonsense.

Watch a debate in the House of Commons and you’ll recognize a pattern: questions go unanswered, talking points are repeated, and everyone shoots for sound bites.

The incentives reward this behaviour. I want to help change them. When several paragraphs of empty nothing-talk are translated into one blunt sentence, it becomes harder to hide. And if politicians know their answers will be presented this way, perhaps answering questions directly becomes more attractive.

2. People should see what AI makes possible.

This has been an idea of mine for years. AI finally made it possible to build.

I believe we’re heading toward an extraordinary future, though getting there will be disruptive and sometimes frightening. I want this project to help people understand what AI can do for us and build optimism about our future.

3. Government spending deserves plain language.

I lean libertarian. I think political language too often obscures the fact that government spending means spending people’s money.

I want the requests, promises, and trade-offs to be easier to recognize. When a politician asks for more funding, readers should be able to see what they want funded and what justification they offer. Readers can decide for themselves whether the proposal is worthwhile.

4. It’s funny.

Stripping the ceremony from a carefully rehearsed exchange can reveal something absurd. The satire is part of the appeal. Humour can make a debate readable and expose what polished language conceals.

5. People should be able to follow their government.

Following a debate shouldn’t require wading through pages of repetition and self-congratulation. Clear, short summaries can make those debates accessible. When a subject appears in the news, I want people to be able to look it up and see the discussion for themselves.

This site has no ads. I pay for it myself because I think it’s worth making. If it helps you understand a debate, notice an evasion, or have a laugh, it has done something I hoped it would.

— Jake Donkersgoed
Creator of TranslatePolitics · @Sineso_