Motions

Question Time Sessional Order

The Hon. S.G. WADE (16:23): I thank the council for its forbearance and I apologise that I was not available to take the call when it was given earlier. I move:

That the Standing Orders Committee considers a six-month trial of a sessional order requiring a minimum number of non-government questions each sitting day.

For a number of years this council has laboured under frustration at the long-winded and irrelevant answers by Labor ministers in question time. Sometimes it feels like a verbal form of Chinese water torture. Question time is limited to one hour's duration, without any provision for a minimum number of answers. Standing Order 69 states:

Unless otherwise ordered, the period for asking questions without notice and giving notices of motion may not exceed one hour. If, however, before the expiration of one hour, a question is in the process being asked, then that question may be answered, even though the period of one hour has expired.

The one hour time limit on question time encourages ministers to provide longwinded answers, because to do so limits the scope for more questions to be asked. The result is that non-government members are deprived of the opportunity to do their job in keeping the government to account. My motion proposes that the Standing Orders Committee be asked to consider a six-month trial of a sessional order requiring a minimum number of non-government questions in the Legislative Council each sitting day. I commend the motion to the council and indicate that I propose to bring the motion to a vote at the next sitting week.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. T.T. Ngo.