Suggestions for Question Time

Here are a couple of suggestions for improving and reducing Question Time in the House of Representatives

Protocol notwithstanding, the replying Minister should cut out the nonsense of saying “ Mr Speaker,  I thank the Member/ Honourable Member for  Diddlepoop for his question
.”  Firstly, if it’s a Dorothy Dixer from his own lot, he knew it was coming, as he probably drafted it himself.  Of course he’s thankful for the opportunity to tell the viewing public what a good bloke he is.  If it comes from the other lot, though, he must know that it’ll be searching and incisive and he’ll need to be on his mettle.  There is no way that he is thankful for such a question.

So, Ministers responding to questions should cut to the chase and be as succinct as possible.

That leads nicely into the second point, which deals with the excessive acknowledgement of the Speaker.  The Speaker is not a judge to be deferentially addressed: he is there to preside over proceedings, moderate debate and rule on procedures.  The repetition of “Mr Speaker” throughout a Ministerial answer and, indeed, at anytime a member is on his feet having something to say, is infuriating in the extreme.Members of the House of Representatives use the term as oral punctuation with “Mr Speaker” commas, full stops, colons and semi-colons scattered liberally, and carelessly, throughout their deliveries. These are annoying interruptions, and the custom should be abolished.

If it is necessary to acknowledge the Speaker, it should be done only once, at the start of the speech, question or answer, and thus save a considerable amount of time in needless repetition.  


IDSTG 7/9/2010