If each House of Parliament - the (mainly) combination of the Government and the Opposition - is accountable, then their action together in the management of the procedures and internal discipline including Standing Orders, must also be accountable (to the wider electorate); or is it the case that the Standing Orders operate under the auspices of an alliance `` LIBERAL PARTY - LABOR PARTY we know best club`` from Parliament to Parliament.
Part of the Standing Orders (of the House of Representatives) refer to` Questions without notice` (Question Time). For `Questions without notice` to be both creditable and utmost effective, Question Time needs to be massively overhauled and formulated, it is suggested, around the following core conditions:
(1) The Opposition and only the Opposition may ask questions in Question Time.
(2) The Opposition may orally ask questions of Government Ministers including the Prime Minister (respondents) without notice for immediate response on any Government decision (conclusion) and on any premise/s from which the conclusion is drawn and on any premise/s from which any (related) intermediate conclusion is drawn, and questions may be asked as to the adequacy of any decision and on any matter relevant to or affecting that adequacy. Decisions include Government - policies, actions, inactions, reactions to propositions and events, and claims. Adequacy includes suitability, necessity, and fairness.
Note: Where Opposition is mentioned in (1) and (2) above it is to mean The Opposition, Independents and other (minor) political Parties
(3) Any Government decision which is currently (sessional) debated shall not disallow any questions arising from Condition (2) upon that decision.
(4) In respect of Condition (2) all questions and all answers must relate to and confined by the provisions in Condition (2) and not contain any reference to any extraneous matter.
(5) Each answer shall not be verbose and the duration of each answer shall not exceed 3 minutes.
(6) In respect of Condition (2) the respondent may not ask for any question to be placed on the Notice Paper (or the like); if the respondent is unable or unwilling to answer a question, that question may be asked at following Question Times until such time an answer is forthcoming.
(7) Question Time - exclusively for the asking of questions - shall be of a duration of 1 hour each day of sitting; each hour shall consist of divisions of time; a respondent shall only answer questions during one and only one division; the time duration of any division shall not exceed thirty (30) minutes; a division shall end when the questioner ceases questioning.
(8) For the entire length of a division (of time) a questioner may ask questions on a continual basis without re-introduction from the Speaker, and for that period the questioner shall remain seated in the same place; the respondent may sit and/or stand.
(9) All questions and all answers shall be made without interruption.
(10) Questions other than those of Condition (2) and of a general nature shall be placed on the Notice Paper for written reply if so requested by a respondent.
(11) ADDENDUM: For one day only of every (normal or short) week of sitting, the roles of the Government and the Opposition in Question Time shall be reversed, and as such, the Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Ministers shall make themselves available for questioning by the Government in accordance with and only with all the above Conditions. ( Three days of scrutiny of Government decisions and one day for the Opposition in a normal week of sitting is a judgement based upon the situation that the Government is the legislator).
The Senate should follow suit.
NOTE: For the full argument go to pchlindy.blogspot.com.au/
AUTHOR: Peter Holland
EMAIL: peterh9142frz@gmail.com
QUESTION: Do you think Question Time in Parliament is acceptable as it stands? .
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