Some 40 years later, we have a Question Period that has become increasingly ineffective in fulfilling its historic role of holding a government to account for its performance in office. It is hard to imagine that there was a time when governments were rather anxious before the daily Question Period. No one knew in advance who would ask questions, about what, to whom. Political staff tried to anticipate possible questions and to prepare Ministers as best they could. There were occasions, admittedly quite infrequent, when a government was caught off guard by a question and had to scramble or was actually knocked back on its heels.
The memory I am about to share is of an event that must have taken place in the early 1970s, because Lucien Lamoureux was the Speaker of the House of Commons as I watched Question Period from the public gallery that day. An opposition member was recognized by the Speaker and got up to ask his question. He launched into an enthusiastic speech and got as far as “and I dare say,” when Lamoureux rose from his chair – a move prompting silence from the MP. In an almost gentle voice, Lamoureux said “The Honourable Member is not allowed to daresay.” In other words, the Speaker was telling the MP that he had been recognized to ask a question, not to give a speech.
Some 40 years later, we have a Question Period that has become increasingly ineffective in fulfilling its historic role of holding a government to account for its performance in office. It is hard to imagine that there was a time when governments were rather anxious before the daily Question Period. No one knew in advance who would ask questions, about what, to whom. Political staff tried to anticipate possible questions and to prepare Ministers as best they could. There were occasions, admittedly quite infrequent, when a government was caught off guard by a question and had to scramble or was actually knocked back on its heels.
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AuthorC. Richard Tindal, Ph.D is a retired Professor of Government. He taught for 30 years at St. Lawrence College, Kingston and was an occasional Visiting Professor at Queen's University. He has also written and consulted extensively about government. Archives
October 2023
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