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{
    "id": 381254,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/381254/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 85,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Billow",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 260,
        "legal_name": "Billow Adan Kerrow",
        "slug": "billow-kerrow"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is a reason governments are elected and political parties run for power. A question similar to the one asked by Sen. Lonyangapuo, as to when the Government will tarmac a road from point A to point B, can only be answered by the Government in power. It cannot be answered by the Senators of this House or by any other political party. So, I think that there are two things that we need to balance. We cannot summon a Cabinet Secretary just to get an answer to a question before a full Committee. We have to also be alive to that fact; that it really would mean that everyday the Cabinet Secretaries will be here because of questions. We have to balance that with the fact that we also cannot come here to answer on behalf of the Cabinet Secretaries, all matters which will arise from supplementary questions. This is because a Cabinet Secretary can give you a written answer; that, that road will be tarmacked in this or next financial year, but there will be supplementary questions that will come. So, if we, indeed, then allow Members of the Minority to be in a position to respond, then what would happen is that in the supplementary question I asked when the Government will also tarmac the extension from there to another one, a Member of the Minority will stand here and say: “We will tarmac it in the next financial year.” In fact, that would create the kind of situation that Sen. Hassan was complaining about; that Members would then be giving answers that may not be appropriate. So, in my view, what the Senate Majority Leader actually said, that the Vice-Chair should not really undertake to answer on behalf of the Chair, is in order."
}