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{
    "id": 503311,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/503311/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 84,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Eng.) Gumbo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 24,
        "legal_name": "Nicholas Gumbo",
        "slug": "nicholas-gumbo"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Speaker, honestly, this House must pronounce itself in the manner in which Bills are being drafted in this House. I have also looked at some of the pages and even the manner of arrangement of sections; there are even a few typographical errors in this Bill. But more fundamentally, I am completely at a loss. This is one Bill where I feel strongly, considering that it is very technical and considering the manner of arrangement, this House should have pronounced itself on the Committee report before we even commence debate on it. However, my concern is the manner of arrangement. I hope the Members sitting here have looked at this Bill. If you, for example, look at page 2933, it says: “Section 58 of No.8 of 1999, which it is proposed to amend-” Then you have to go again past the Memorandum which the Leader of Majority Party was dwelling on. You have to look for that Section 58 which is proposed to be amended. Is this really the best way to draft a Bill? Why would the aspect of debating a Bill be made to be so academic in a manner such as this? Unless somebody is keen, it is not easy to notice it. I have listened keenly and I was hoping that my good friends, the Leader of Majority Party and hon. Katoo would have picked that point. Are we not here to make laws that can easily be interpreted? Why should it be so academic that when we are debating laws, I have to look at one page, and to look at the meaning of that page, I have to flip another 200 pages to get what it is that I am pronouncing myself on? Hon. Speaker, I am concerned that the drafting of Bills is a matter that this House must pronounce itself on. We have talked about it a number of times. This is not an academic exercise that it is being made to be. We are not sitting for exams. The aspect of making Bills cannot look like we are here mainly to look at what is wrong with a Bill. We should be here to appreciate that the Bills that are going to be presented in this House are going to have impact on our country. However, as presented, I am of the opinion that a time has come for this House to pronounce itself on this. We mentioned it when we spoke about the Insolvency Bill and the Companies Bill and yet again, this Bill is coming up. It is time that this House pronounces itself in the manner of arrangement of clauses in Bills that are coming before this House. With all due respect to those who did this Bill, this is a very poorly presented Bill. It is The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}