Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 984067,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/984067/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 106,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "one place. Consequently, the Speaker made provisions that Parliament should work and utilize online communication in all its deliberations and decision-making. In France, the Leader or Spokesman of the Government side and the Leader or Spokesman of the Opposition take questions from the Members and go to present in the House. If they have a question to a Minister, they designate a few Members of Parliament that are able, at any given time, to ask those questions. In Germany, they reduced the quorum to 25 per cent and changed the regulations and the rules. In Ireland, they did the same, that is, to reduce the quorum. However, there is an interesting one in Sweden which has 349 Members of Parliament. The Swedish Parliament decided that they can only have 55 Members participate in the Chamber. In voting and making decisions, they reduced their quorum. The same has been done in Australia. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in New Zealand, where we borrowed the approach we have here, the New Zealand Parliament decided to close and established an ad hoc Committee like ours, whose responsibility was to deal with the issue of the epidemic. It is called an epidemic response committee, and its role is to make sure that they collate all the information that Parliament needs and advise Parliament, so that decisions are made from time to time by few Members of Parliament. I want to tell the nation that first, they need to appreciate that we have not abdicated our duty. In fact, most of these Members of Parliament have been debating and contributing to the issues of COVID-19 online. Sometimes, our debates have gone up to almost 2.00 a.m.; finding solutions on how best we should come to the House, what the Committee on Health and Committee on Finance and Budget should do. Most of those suggestions have led to this Motion, your Communication and many other decisions that are going to made going forward. Parliament and the Senate, for that matter, is alive and working. I appreciate the fact that you directed the Committee on Finance and Budget to continue working within the confines of your Communication, and ensure that they get public views on the issues related to The Division of Revenue Bill. Secondly, there is a feeling that if we form this Committee, it takes the mandate of the Standing Committees, which is far from the truth. The Committee on Health has not been suspended, and it should continue performing its responsibilities within the guidelines that you have provided and address the health issues that are related to COVID-19. It is important for the Members of this House and members of the public to know that a Standing Committee does not need to come to the Chamber to get another mandate. They got their mandate two-and-a-half years ago when that Committee was established. The only thing that the Committee should do is bring reports to the House on what they have done and when they want the support of the House in making certain deliberations. I want to request the Chairperson and the Vice Chairperson who are here that we want to see them working and in the meetings with the Cabinet Secretary. I am grateful and know many Senators here who have engaged the Cabinet Secretary for Health directly."
}