00:00Prime Minister's questions was introduced into Parliament's standing orders in 2014,
00:06but today the opposition opted to not submit any questions.
00:11Mr. Speaker, for the public record, today's Prime Minister's questions.
00:16The Honourable Prime Minister is in the chamber.
00:20However, we have been advised that the opposition has filed no Prime Minister's questions.
00:26So we just wanted to register that for the public record.
00:29The opposition says what was intended to be an important accountability mechanism
00:34has now become something very different.
00:37In a statement, the People's National Movement says,
00:40more than 90% of the questions submitted by the opposition for answer by the Prime Minister have been denied.
00:47Even when questions are permitted, the opposition is being prevented from asking legitimate supplemental questions
00:54arising from the Prime Minister's answers and statements.
00:57The People's National Movement says the current approach is not what occurred
01:02under the previous administration.
01:05It writes,
01:07This stands in stark contrast to the operation of the Prime Minister's questions
01:12under former Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley,
01:15who attended Prime Minister's questions and subjected himself to supplemental questions
01:20from the then-opposition.
01:23The opposition is also questioning the Prime Minister's recent attendance in Parliament,
01:28saying,
01:29Today, however, we are confronted with a Prime Minister who has come to Parliament for the
01:33first time since the annual August recess, having been absent from Parliament for the entire
01:40month of September, and who now wishes to create the appearance that she has come before
01:46Parliament to account to the country.
01:49For the opposition, that is a line it says it will not cross,
01:53saying it will not participate in that pretense.
01:56It says the concerns are not confined to the Prime Minister's questions.
02:01The statement reads,
02:12Supplemental questions to ministers are being blocked, while questions on notice are routinely
02:17denied, deferred, or delayed.
02:20The opposition says parliamentary procedure is now being used in a way that undermines the
02:26role of Parliament.
02:26It says,
02:28Parliament cannot be reduced to a stage upon which the government performs accountability
02:33while simultaneously using its majority and parliamentary procedure to frustrate it.
02:40The opposition is now calling for the Standing Orders Committee to address the issue.
02:45It says,
02:46If the Prime Minister genuinely intends to account to the people, then allow the opposition's
02:52legitimate questions, allow proper supplemental questions, require ministers to answer questions
02:58of public importance, end quote.
03:00The opposition again calls for an urgent meeting of the Standing Orders Committee specifically
03:05seeking the restoration of supplemental questions to the Prime Minister during Prime Minister's
03:12questions.
03:12Arvashit Tanwari Rupnarein, TV6 News.
