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{
    "id": 1357583,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1357583/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 132,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "attend the House on two occasions only. First, when attending a Parliamentary committee or Parliament and second when in a Cabinet meeting. Could you clarify to the House which procedure would force the House to adjourn, to wait for a Cabinet Secretary who was well versed to appear today as from 9.30 a.m. in order to look at the many issues? We do not want to build a tradition where in the future, if a Cabinet Secretary feels like they do not want to come at 10.00 a.m. they can appear at 12.00 p.m., imagining the House will freeze or proceed with other House business. The neater way is, if they are busy, they reschedule to a later date. Unless you are making a different ruling, if I am a witness appearing before Parliament in future, and I am asked to appear at 9.00 a.m., if I am caught up, I could decide to tell the House that I will appear at 3.00 p.m. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, can you clarify, so that in future we do not open that window? This is a House of rules and traditions. We do not want to summon or invite witnesses before the House who can go to court and challenge that at some point a Cabinet Secretary was supposed to appear, but because he was traveling, the House decided to defer the matter an hour or two later. We need to be very clear so that we do not open a dangerous window that will abuse the Parliamentary privilege and the position of Parliament. We have agreed that there are only two situations that they can avoid sitting; a Cabinet meeting or appearing before Parliament. Can you clarify so that we do not risk other issues that might crop up in the future? I thank you."
}