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"speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Zani",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am a Member of this Committee, and I remember that even this meeting was held virtually and very aptly. Over time, I think we have been able to innovate ourselves in a very comprehensive manner. We have been able to take the situation that we have been in, in such a way that we have been able to progress. Already, quite a number of committees are able to now meet through the ZOOM online meeting platform. We have also been having a hybrid system of meetings within the Senate, where we have been having the extended Chamber. I think what the Third Report intends to do is to identify those nitty-gritty areas that might move us away from constitutionality and application of rules within the Senate, and address this in a very precise way. This is what this Committee sought to do to ensure that as we have our online virtual or remote meetings during this particular period, whether Plenary or Committee, Senators will be able to understand exactly how to go about it. Looking at the mechanisms to determine attendance, quorum and how to present ourselves in detailed aspects, a lot of input has been made about how Senators will present themselves and have the camera on them. This is when it comes to issues like voting, knowing very clearly that we would not want a situation where somebody can vote on behalf of somebody else or might even have the whole system hacked. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, you can imagine somebody else turning up for that meeting making themselves look like you, talking like you, and then later on, we come to find out it was not you. It would be completely catastrophic. Therefore, how are we able to ensure that the identity is well in place? Many forums have suggested that the person must appear. Sometimes, we also have situations where you find that somebody has put their photograph. That photograph should not be of them cycling at the park, because it might distract people. I know that you have been watching and following up on social media about the various incidences that have happened during video conferencing calls. We have had members stand up or accidentally take a picture in an area like the kitchen and they expose what they are cooking, et cetera. We wanted to ensure that we are able to put all these things in place; a mechanism for determining attendance and quorum, and how to organize our Plenary and committee sittings. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, what we have adapted in this Senate so far is a hybrid system. It is not completely virtual because we have the issues that Sen. (Prof.) Kamar raised very well about where we put the Mace. I know that in even other forums where we have gone virtual, it has not been completely virtual. There is an element of a hybrid system where we have just fewer people, like we have seen for masses and other services like television transmissions, where we can aptly have the necessary things that are meant to be there. We will have the Speaker there, but will definitely have fewer people. The issue of recording and how that recording is meant to be done and documented in the HANSARD is very critical, and still needs to be maintained. Indeed, in many of the meetings and the prepositions that we are making in these Standing Orders, we have HANSARD reports, reference points and the same audio recordings. In The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}