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{
    "id": 216368,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/216368/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 180,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Maore",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 284,
        "legal_name": "Richard Maoka Maore",
        "slug": "maoka-maore"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is a media piece that was launched this morning. The headline said how one Assistant Minister here procured abortions for nuns and mistresses of priests. Mr. Speaker, Sir, when you find that kind of headline and a responsible Assistant Minister of this Government is saying he has done it, it is possible that those things happen. However, when you put them on printed newspaper, you are becoming \"mannerless\". You are becoming insensitive to members of the Catholic Church. It is an insult! Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is this kind of borderline that we need to know. When somebody has crossed the line, what do you do? You do not just wish that you had something in your hand and throw it at them. We need some law that we can fall back to. The other issue is that of professional ethics. Ethics happen to profession, but when you find a profession that has been invaded by non-professionals, you do not know where to start. That is why we are telling the Minister that he has done the right thing in this Bill. We need to have the responsibility and liability. This is not control; it is not censorship; it is trying to put some sense into some of these hotheads. Mr. Speaker, Sir, without taking a lot of time, I have seen the arrangement of the Bill. When this Bill becomes an Act, the Minister intends to mediate and arbitrate disputes. It is also about promoting and protecting freedom and independence of the media. This is what we are going to do. This is just like the hen and chicks. When she kicks them, sometimes it is to protect them from the enemy or chase them away. However, in the process, they might get some injuries. Therefore, the society needs to be protected from a rogue, unregulated media. We have had a problem over the years about the regulation of the gutter Press or alternative media. Every time we come here, the Minister comes and says they may not be registered at the General Post Office (GPO) as a newspaper. However, there is no regulation on their returns given that they do not have even physical address. When this Bill becomes an Act, we will have somebody to account why we have those who have made it a hobby and earning a living by trading insults, untruths and destroying our society and families. Mr. Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to second."
}