Opposition Leader objects as Q&A pushed back again in HoA
Not pleased with the decision, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1), Opposition Leader and First District Representative, interjected and questioned the reason for such a decision, while noting that when the members of the House goes into Government Business it will be a lengthy process.
“I would like to know what is the reason for pushing back the questions and answers because it won’t take up much time because when you go into these government business Madam Speaker, we are going to be in there for quite a while and this is a part of the people’s business that the only part that the Opposition has to come and find out about the people’s business. I want to what is the reason for delaying the question and answer. I can’t understand it,” expressed Hon Fahie.
In response, Premier Smith first apologised and then explained that the Budget Debate is important and has to be done due to time constraints but indicated that the questions will be answered.
He explained, “Madam Speaker, I want to apologise to the Members for the delay because of technical difficulties but we do have a kind of time constraint and it is important that we have the decision on the Budget and I think that is the most important thing today but the questions will be answered there is no question about that immediately after.”
“Time constraints weree created by them” - Hon Fahie
The HoA is known for not starting the sitting on time and today it started at 11:43 A.M.
The Opposition Leader in disagreement with the motion to push back the Question and Answer segment told the House that the time constraints were caused by Government themselves, while pointing out that if they started on time, they would have addressed the Question and Answer segment already.
Hon Fahie said firmly, “Point of information with all due respect to the Premier, the constraint was created by themselves. Today, Madam Speaker, we were here and with time constraints. We started almost midday and now the questions have to go on until God knows when. If we had started at 10:00, we would have done answered the questions by now. The questions would not have lasted the hour that we had look to start.”
Furthermore, the First District Representative expressed that it is “unfair” to the people’s work and commented that he is not in agreement with moving the questions. “I really cannot agree and there are some questions here that need to be answered. The time constraints for this budget was given by the Premier himself, not by us.”
“We are up against a deadline” – Ingrid A. Moses-Scatliffe
Speaker of the House of Assembly, Honourable Ingrid A. Moses-Scatliffe, remarked that the Question and Answer section is not normally allowed when the House is addressing the Budget Debate but she obliged and added it to the Order of the Day.
She also noted that the House is working based on the deadline which is April 30, 2018, and the matter of the day (Budget) has to be passed before that date.
“Your concern has been duly noted. Every member is fully aware of the constraints under which we have been operating for the last two to six weeks and we are working against two significant deadlines. We are up against a deadline and questions were still on the order paper which we don’t normally have questions on the budget debate but they were allowed.”
She continued, “We are going to be here very late today and we are going to be here very late tomorrow because the matter on the order of the day has to be passed. The office itself has been working under extreme conditions and circumstances which led us to be late this morning and we don’t have a choice, it’s that simple. We might very well have to come back here on Saturday because we all know we are working against April 30th which is on Monday.”
Evading answering to the public
Meanwhile, Third District Representative Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) said his issue was that the Premier should have informed the Opposition beforehand, rather than coming to the House and pushing the Question and Answer segment down the Order Paper.
It has been a frequent practice by the National Democratic Party Government to delay the Question and Answer segment of the House of Assembly. Added to that, Ministers of Government often refuse to answer questions or provide half-truths and even outright lies in the Honourable House of Assembly.
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24 Responses to “Opposition Leader objects as Q&A pushed back again in HoA”
this is disrespectful to the people.