Yesterday’s Question Time was the battle of the narratives, with the government focusing most of its questions on health, and the Opposition doing likewise on parental leave.
Question time
How Question Time can save democracy
It may seem unfathomable that US politics doesn’t get to enjoy the playground politics of Question Time, but a movement is growing for QT to be introduced in the US. Congressman Kendrick Meek explains.
Abbott’s charge falters
Despite their best attempts, the Opposition couldn’t breach the Government’s desperate defence of Peter Garrett this week.
Explaining the stacked deck that is parliamentary question time
It’s doubtful a coalition Opposition would take advice from a former Labor press secretary but if they did, they might want to just hand question time over to the press gallery, writes Network Ten press gallery producer Stephen Spencer.
Opposition fails to pin Garrett
The Coalition’s pursuit of Peter Garrett has faded in only the second Question Time this week, with the Minister untroubled by sustained Opposition questioning this afternoon.
Garrett is soiled but solid
Peter Garrett’s fate has nothing to do with the merits of his case and everything to do with how long he deprives the Government of clear air in its task of attacking Tony Abbott.
Tips for Tony Abbott
The Opposition has two big issues on which it could inflict real damage on the Government — and it is wholly ignoring one and feebly prosecuting the other.
Marr: Highlights from the Parliamentary dog house
Federal Parliament is just like the dog pound, says David Marr: barking, growling and the looming threat of being put down.
Abbott’s very bad day
Tony Abbott’s first Parliamentary day in the big chair was not the greatest of starts: the new leader was left standing at the Dispatch Box gasping a little like a fish out of water.
Crabb: Captain Kevin not steering the ship
Who’s even in charge of Oceanic Viking and the Sri Lankan asylum seekers aboard? We’ve become a leaky boat without a captain, writes Annabel Crabb. Kevin Rudd has become an expert in giving very vague answers about the saga.
Question Time fun: See Kevin run. See Kevin hide.
The pursuit of the Prime Minister over the Oceanic Viking made, inter alia, for a rather more interesting Question Time yesterday than we’ve had in some months.
Crabb: How will we cope with leaky boats? Don’t worry, the sea levels are rising
Yesterday’s QT focused on each party’s respective Achilles heel, says Annabel Crabb. The government talked about climate change. The Opposition ignored them and asked about asylum seekers. The government ignored them. And repeat.
Crabb: How Rudd’s buttocks fear the wedgie of ’01
Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull are just play fighting. In essence, they agree on asylum seekers. Except, its just easier for Turnbull to talk about leaky boats than farting climate change cows, says Annabel Crabb.
Question Time: is a long-winded answer better than a punch in the face?
Let’s turn to other democracies for inspiring tips on how to keep Question Time proceedings moving in a civilised way. Best to avoid South Korea though, writes Crikey intern Nina Nicoll.
Crabb: Is the Coalition a bunch of union bigwigs?
The Opposition is like a “crumbly old trade union”, writes Annabel Crabb. The evidence? Tony Abbott declared an industrial dispute on Question Time and threatened to strike.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Women at war
Crikey readers debate Guy Rundle and his views on women on the front line. Plus, the ridiculous actions of question time and will VCA never dance again?
True: Gillard is twice the talker Howard was
As it turns out, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard really DO take longer to answer questions than their predecessors.
Question Time has always been a farce
The days of Question Time actually being about accountability are long gone. If the Coalition is serious about improving things — and that’s a big if — Mr Keane has some suggestions.
Parliament House or animal house?
The conduct of Federal Parliament recently has descended from chaos into outright farce, says Christian Kerr. Both sides know they’re behaving badly, but will either fall back into line?
Crikey Says: Abbott’s Question Time antics
Yesterday Tony Abbott was booted from Question Time. Today he’s threatened that the Opposition might boycott it. His dummy-spit is particularly egregious as a senior member and, better yet, Leader of the House.
Play Crikey’s Question Time Bingo
You usually have to pay for fun this good. Download First Dog’s Bingo cards, put on a cuppa and join the Crikey team from 2pm.
Twitter: giving a voice to the biggest mouths in town
Enjoy the unfiltered tweets of pollies Joe Hockey, Kevin Rudd et al while you can. Pretty soon, press secretaries will be wrenching their Blackberrys from their hands, says Annabel Crabb.
Opposition makes public the losers
The Opposition politicians are lazy and don’t provide a clear political alternative. Instead their main aim is oppose everything: even things that will come back to bite them later, writes Alister Drysdale.
