Televising Parliament
Had a glimpse of Parliament on TV yesterday.
For those who have not seen British, Australian, or even Taiwanese Parliaments in action, it would have been shocking.
Even for Parliamentarians who have grown up over the last generation, unused as they are to the rough and tumble of parliamentary politics, it would have been an experience which would not have been a happy one.
I feel that most of us would expect our country’s highest legislative body to have decorum in spades and also very polite people discoursing and debating in very civil terms about the future of the country.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Parliament IS a fish market. Especially first world parliaments.
The British Parliament, if viewed from the so called Strangers Gallery is nothing more than an avenue for show. There are boos, hisses, catcalls, name calling of the most incisive nature, and all in all, it is a free for all.
Our Information Minister Dato’ Shabery Cheek has basically said that they will do away with the televising of this spectacle as our parliamentarians particularly the opposition don’t know how to behave themselves. What a laugh. Perhaps we should do away with the post of information minister and have a department of information wholly subject to parliament which will then pass on news about the information of government.
First World Parliaments get broadcasted all the time. There’s even a channel in the US that broadcasts ONLY House debates. It’s called CSPAN.
Ever seen the Taiwanese Parliament in action? And I MEAN action…
And Taiwan is a first world developed nation.
Basically, our government, through it’s information minister mouthpiece has shown again, it’s total lack of understanding of what a democracy is. The politics of fear, of face, of anxiety rule again. What utter silliness.
Yes, there is a lot of nonsense that goes on. Yes, sometimes Bills get delayed due to Filibustering. Yes, sometimes the stuff that get’s debated is procedural. Yes, much of what is said in Parliament is nonsense. But that is the process of a First World Parliament. This happens in developed Parliaments WORLDWIDE. The British are masters of the surgical insult.
It will be messy. Democracy is messy. And the mess should be welcomed, embraced even. Because out of that mess gems and diamonds will be polished and will emerge.
Long live broadcasting of Parliament proceedings.
