Operational Matters and PQs
Labour are taking a while to get the hang of Opposition. We saw this at the beginning of the year when former Ministers couldn’t even word oral questions in the House, and we have seen this at years end, with their 4,000 written questions to Ministers in one day.
But a source tells me Labour have made a major fuck up with many of their questions. They are questions that should have been asked of Departmental CEOs through the annual select committee financial review. This is how National MPs got their information in Opposition – because asking about operational matters through a Ministerial PQ would get declined.
And it seems Labour asked relatively few questions during the annual select committee financial reviews – a small fraction of the numbers asked by National MPs in Opposition. Maybe they thought they didn’t need to, and they could just ask them as Ministerial PQs. Rather silly not knowing the rules, considering how many of their MPs are ex-Ministers or ex-Ministerial staff. Maybe they just are not quite as clever as they think they are.
December 24th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
they, or some, are dummy spitting on Redalert that their questions are NOT being answered properly .. HELLO!!
when I watch question time, most questions are lame as and give the Minister an out as they actually ask multiple questions in 1 (Ministers only need to answer1) and almost always finish with a smart arse dig .. who prepare the questions, that is what I want to know .. fire them.
December 24th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
“because asking about operational matters through a Ministerial PQ would get declined”
Well one hopes then that National are going to decline to answer all such questions.
A child doesn’t learn unless you teach them right from wrong.
And this is Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, responsible for ensuring the safety of our democracy by holding the govt to account. Fuck me.
December 24th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
To the whole shower of them, each and all, Ho Ho Ho and bugger orf to your beachside baches, drink and eat too much etc. and don’t hurry back. Oddly enough the Country manages quite well in your absence. By all means feel free to be caught behaving badly; always good for a chuckle. But if I see any one of you on the telly making profound statements on any local issue du jour over this, my time of deliverance from you, I may feel compelled to gouge out my eyeballs with BBQ tongs (or similar) and it will be YOUR fault.
December 24th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Hmmmmmm …. ‘Labour’ and ‘Fuck Up’. One morphs ever so gently into the other.
December 24th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Labour are making Policy on the run, if they stuff up they just Flip-flop 180 Degrees and think nothing of it, Goff’s Speech for instance. Then they struggle to keep everyone on the same song sheet. What a way to run a party a bunch of no hopers.
December 24th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
“Maybe they are just not quite as clever as they think they are”
AS reid says- this is Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.
Heaven help Democracy if they keep this up.
December 25th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Hey guys they are just making up for the last nine years, you remember that time when Helen did all the asking and the answering. Its a new joy being able to speak for themselves.
Apart from that there are at least four groups in this bunch all expecting to be the top dogs. All undisciplined in the art of team work. But that’s just what you would expect. Unfortunately despite Goff’s best intentions and his being actually a nice guy he will never ever be able to reconcile that lot to a common cause.
Problem is that the socialist will all move to National with their buddies and we will need to rise up and grow the right again before we go further back to the left.
History tells us the Nats. never change anything.
December 25th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Taking a while to get the hang of opposition ? Well they’re going to get at least six years practice. More likely nine.
December 26th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Labour people are not in the main all that bright. They have good support from Teachers and academics. But I have never thought the teaching professions have many brains. The average primary school teacher cannot even spell. The typical Labour Party staffer gives me the impression of someone who hopes to be an MP one day and they spend all their time thinking up political stunt after political stunt. There is no point to the Labour Party except the defend the status quo on a some sacred cows like ACC, holiday pay etc.