Matter of Creating an Outer Expansion Zone

"How, then, should the galaxy that lies before us be apportioned out? Should Coruscant alone say where the colony ships are to be most profitably sent? Or should it stand aside while a thousand thousand species, planets, and organizations launch a thousand thousand ships to a thousand thousand new worlds? My mind rebels at both ideas, my friends&mdash;as, I suspect, does yours. And so here we stand, seeking a middle path that may not exist."

- Senator Fird, testifying on the creation of the Outer Expansion Zone

The Matter of Creating an Outer Expansion Zone was a proposal reviewed and voted upon by the Senate of the Galactic Republic around 700 BBY. The proposal stipulated that, if approved, the Senate would allow for the creation of an Outer Expansion Zone in the largely uncolonized region of the galaxy located north of the Republic's capital world of Coruscant. Furthermore, approval of the Outer Expansion Zone would grant the megacorporation conglomerate known as the Expansionist Oligarchy the rights to administer the region. A series of hearings were held to review the matter, which was ultimately met with approval. The undertaking was ultimately deemed a failure, however, as the Oligarchy abused its authority to strip the worlds in the zone of resources and oppress the native peoples within. The Senate was eventually forced to intervene in the resulting crisis, ending the Outer Expansion Zone experiment.