The Rudd Government promised it would improve on Mr Howard's very high standards, but it has failed.
"The way question time works is that 50 per cent of the questions are asked of ministers by government backbenchers, written in ministers' offices, and they just berate the Opposition," Mr Downer said on Fairfax Radio Network today.
"And the other 50 per cent of questions are organised by the opposition front bench. So if you are an opposition backbencher you just sit there, you are not able to ... play much of a role in the actual activity of question time."
Mr Downer said the lunch was more enjoyable than listening to Ms Gillard, who has been using an array of props during question time to belittle the former Howard government's Work Choices "propaganda".
"For me, as an opposition backbencher, to spend one afternoon not listening to Julia Gillard's childish ranting and party politicking in an era when (Prime Minister) Mr (Kevin) Rudd promised new standards, on reflection, I think I was better off having lunch with Greg Sheridan," Mr Downer said.
Liberal MP Steven Ciobo said Labor was in no position to criticise parliamentary practice.
The Government's decision to have parliament sit on Fridays without a question time was a huge waste of taxpayers' dollars, he said.
"We've got the Rudd day off on Friday which simply isn't good enough," he said.
"Question time is an important part of the parliamentary process. The fact that we've have got 14 more sitting days without question time really is turning this parliament into a part-time parliament."
Thursday, February 21, 2008
New Government Fails To Set Standards
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'It's OK to wag if you're a backbencher'
By Susanna Dunkerley
ALEXANDER Downer says it is OK for him to wag parliament's question time because he sits on the opposition back bench.
A lunch with a journalist during yesterday's question time was far more enjoyable than listening to the antics of Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, the former foreign minister said.
Mr Downer was dining at a Canberra restaurant with The Australian newspaper's foreign editor Greg Sheridan while his Coalition colleagues quizzed the Government on key issues yesterday.
Mr Downer said that as a backbencher, he no longer played an active role in question time so there was no obligation for him to be present.
"The way question time works is that 50 per cent of the questions are asked of ministers by government backbenchers, written in ministers' offices, and they just berate the Opposition," Mr Downer said on Fairfax Radio Network today.
"And the other 50 per cent of questions are organised by the opposition front bench. So if you are an opposition backbencher you just sit there, you are not able to ... play much of a role in the actual activity of question time."
Mr Downer said the lunch was more enjoyable than listening to Ms Gillard, who has been using an array of props during question time to belittle the former Howard government's Work Choices "propaganda".
"For me, as an opposition backbencher, to spend one afternoon not listening to Julia Gillard's childish ranting and party politicking in an era when (Prime Minister) Mr (Kevin) Rudd promised new standards, on reflection, I think I was better off having lunch with Greg Sheridan," Mr Downer said.
Liberal MP Steven Ciobo said Labor was in no position to criticise parliamentary practice.
The Government's decision to have parliament sit on Fridays without a question time was a huge waste of taxpayers' dollars, he said.
"We've got the Rudd day off on Friday which simply isn't good enough," he said.
"Question time is an important part of the parliamentary process. The fact that we've have got 14 more sitting days without question time really is turning this parliament into a part-time parliament."
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