Module Three: Administrative Accountability and Acumen
TOPIC 3.7: What is the purpose of Parliamentary Question Time?
Question Time Overview
In terms of interrogating government for accountability purposes, the committees are useful but might be constrained by the fact that they are often held ‘in camera’ or closed from public view and are generally chaired by a government member. It is in the House where debate is presumably open to all members of the House that issues can be further discussed.
Question Time in Parliament is another mechanism for political accountability. Time is set aside each sitting day for parliamentarians to question Ministers, especially the Prime Minister or Premier, on a variety of issues (Australian Parliament House, n.d.)[1]. Questions can be on notice or without notice. Questions ‘on notice’ allow the Minister to be briefed by the Department beforehand, which should mean a more informed answer (Larkin, 2012, pp. 95 – 114)[2].
Questions alternate between the sides of the house (Parliamentary Education Office, 2023).[3] Members on the Government side ask “Dorothy Dix” questions, which are supportive of Government and provide an opportunity to trumpet the governments achievements and to attack the Opposition. As with Parliamentary Committees, Question Time in Australian parliaments seems to be a weaker scrutiny mechanism than in comparable parliaments overseas (McGowan, 2008).[4]
If a Minister (or any member) is found to have misinformed Parliament, they can be censured. In Queensland lying to parliament is a criminal offence (Sydney Criminal Lawyers, 2015).[5]
Issues with Question Time relate to:
- Its relevance if Ministers avoid answering the questions put to them,
- The amount of time taken up by the Prime Minister, and
- The limited number of questions, which can be asked during a session.
Recommended
40 mins
Make a point of listening to Question Time on the Radio or watch it on television.
- What role did the speaker play?
- Do you believe it should be broadcast? Why? Does it improve democracy or accountability?
- What role did ‘evidence’ play?
- If you watched it on television, what observations did you make of other members in the chamber not centrally involved in the questioning process?
- How well do you think Question Time operates as an accountability measure for responsible government?
- Australian Parliament House. (n.d.). Question Time. https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice7/HTML/Chapter15/Question_Time ↵
- Larkin, P. (2012). Ministerial Accountability to Parliament. In Ministerial careers and accountability in the Australian Commonwealth government. K. Dowding & C Lewis (Eds). ANU E Press. ↵
- Parliamentary Education Office. (2023). Question Time. http://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/how-parliament-works/parliament-at-work/question-time ↵
- McGowan, A. (2008). Accountability or Inability: To what extent does House of Representatives Question Time deliver executive accountability comparative to other parliamentary chambers? Is there a need for reform? Australasian Parliamentary Review 23(2), 66-85. ↵
- : Sydney Criminal Lawyers. (2015). Should lying in parliament be a crime? https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/should-lying-in-parliament-be-a-crime/ ↵