Parliament left in the dark again
Feb 14, 2012
John Gardner MP
Shadow Minister for Families & Communities
Shadow Minister for Housing
Shadow Minister for Disability
Shadow Minister for Youth
Parliament left in the dark again
South Australians will be able to listen to MPs’ contributions to Parliamentary debates from today.
However, until video streaming is introduced, South Australia will remain well behind the rest of Australia on Parliamentary accessibility and accountability, according to Liberal Member for Morialta John Gardner.
“Every other Parliament in Australia – and most Parliaments in the western world – stream videos of their debates and proceedings online so that members of the community can see what’s going on, but we’re being kept in the last millennium,” Mr Gardner said.
“It’s a positive step that South Australians will now be able to listen to Parliamentary debates online, but unless Labor MPs know that their electors can see the way they behave in the Chamber, they won’t have sufficient motivation to improve their behaviour.
“Labor Ministers regularly read long and irrelevant answers to pre-prepared questions, and when they stray from the script it’s usually to throw personal abuse across the chamber.
“In every other state and territory, people can follow debates from home or from their workplace.
“In this day and age it is unreasonable that South Australians, who have an interest in current events or a particular debate, need to come into Parliament House in person to watch proceedings.
“The Weatherill Labor Government has made no provision for the installation of permanent cameras to make our democracy as open and accountable as possible.”