Inmany ways, it's like the opening of a mixed martial arts bout. The government t enters the Mae in a defensive mode, tiring to guess who will be attacked first. Questions begin to be hurled across the floor, one at a time. The minister being questioned attempts to respond, while opposition members chatter, and hoot, and are shushed by the Speakermof the Ouse, whose task is to monitor procedure and decorum. The government member's answer I rounding applauded by his or her colleagues, and booed by the opposition benches. Periodically,the topic is changed and other opposition party members have an opportunity to raise a question.
As in mixed martial arts, punch is thrown...and parried. A kick is launched...and blocked. The advantage swings from side to side, the insults are cheered and booed, the fighters re bloodied and bruised...or not It's a daily ritual when the house is in session, ostensibly giving the Opposition an opportunit to control the agenda for a limited period of time. It's a time honored tradition in the parliamentary system of government. But...
If the ons and daughters of the sitting members were to act this way in a classroom, or even on. Playground, there would be "consequences." Grounding would be a possibility, a stern warning a certainty. At school, a detention might b forthcoming, or even a visit to the principal's office.(Do people still get sent there, as I was?) Rude behavior aside, , Question Period is important, because it is one small way that majority governments can be called to account, can be made accountable before the whole country, because you can bet that the media catches every word spoken and reports both good and bad responses in the daily news.Minister rise and fall by their performance in Question Period, even if it is rude and childish in its execution.
think of all the places where a question period experience would be useful and helpful. After a sermo, for one place, or after a particularly outrageous statement by a parent, or a neighbor. Now nd the, wives launch a question period at their spouses, and children at their parents. Probably not often enough do we speak the questions that we harbor internally. We re SO polite! Until we re we from the person who has made the outrageous statement. Then e start complaining. Perhaps Question Period is the more honest way to go. You speak, you mug give n account of yourself, your inaccuracies lifted up, your untruths exposed.
Perhaps we don't appreciate Question Period because it is a 'bout' too threatening to us. Afrer all, a kick in the head, or a pinch in the gut, is not to be sneezed at!
No comments:
Post a Comment