FF and FG want to cut speaking time for independents and small parties to allow...

hatrickpatrick · 14-07-2017 05:56PM #1

...more speaking time for their own deputies.

What are peoples' views on this? I saw it debated in Vinnie B (what are we going to do without him?) and TWIP a couple of weeks ago, it's coming up again this week.

I have to say I'd have a very simple rebuttal to the argument about it being unfair on TDs of the major parties - if they're bound to a party whip, then regardless of their own views, they won't be able to do anything at all to act on them once the proposal in question comes to the floor. If they're all going to vote with the leadership on an issue, then the leadership can speak for all of them during the debate.

So I'd advocate a very simple criteria - any bill or proposal which is going to be subject to a whipped vote by any particular grouping in the Dail, should only get one time slot of equal length from each such grouping. Of course, TDs should be free to share time within that. If, on the other hand, a party has committed to offering a free vote on a particular issue, then that issue should be subject to a much longer and more wide-ranging debate with far more voices, and proportional speaking time for each party. But any party which is operating a three line whip for a particular vote should be considered to have voluntarily abdicated its entitlement to be treated as a group of individuals - if there aren't individual votes, then there shouldn't be individual voices.

Anyone else have a view?

For Reals · 14-07-2017 06:28PM

I see the point in the more support, the more speaking time, but that dooms us to the civil war two tag team getting in the most spin. I think each major party, if under the whip, need no more than one representative speaker on any given issue.

View · 14-07-2017 06:47PM

It's a bit silly to say that government back-being TDs should lose out as they are going to vote with the government.

There are only two ways to vote on a proposal, either for or against it.

If we follow the "back-being TDs should lose out as they are going to vote with the government" line, we therefore only need two speakers on any proposal, one, the Taoiseach, to give a "for" view, and, two, the leader of the opposition to give an "against" view; after that TDs get to choose which of these they will follow through the voting lobby. :-)

expectationlost · 14-07-2017 07:50PM

View wrote: »

It's a bit silly to say that government back-being TDs should lose out as they are going to vote with the government.

There are only two ways to vote on a proposal, either for or against it.

If we follow the "back-being TDs should lose out as they are going to vote with the government" line, we therefore only need two speakers on any proposal, one, the Taoiseach, to give a "for" view, and, two, the leader of the opposition to give an "against" view; after that TDs get to choose which of these they will follow through the voting lobby. :-)

you want to get rid of political parties in the Dail?

blanch152 · 14-07-2017 09:03PM

Every citizen is entitled to have their representative treated equally in the Dail, regardless of whips or not.

Ministers have a special place in the Constitution because of their jobs and have an accountability to the Dail requiring that they speak more often. Other than that, speaking time should be equal.

expectationlost · 14-07-2017 10:26PM

blanch152 wrote: »

Every citizen is entitled to have their representative treated equally in the Dail, regardless of whips or not.

Ministers have a special place in the Constitution because of their jobs and have an accountability to the Dail requiring that they speak more often. Other than that, speaking time should be equal.

so you all have people from the minister party standing up and repeating each other because the minister/senior party member told them to just like we've seen in the Judicial Commission debate.

hatrickpatrick · 14-07-2017 11:40PM

View wrote: »

It's a bit silly to say that government back-being TDs should lose out as they are going to vote with the government.

There are only two ways to vote on a proposal, either for or against it.

If we follow the "back-being TDs should lose out as they are going to vote with the government" line, we therefore only need two speakers on any proposal, one, the Taoiseach, to give a "for" view, and, two, the leader of the opposition to give an "against" view; after that TDs get to choose which of these they will follow through the voting lobby. :-)

Not at all, I am contending that if they are compelled to vote in a given way, then the only person who need speak is the person compelling them. If they are offered a free vote and still happen to vote with the party line, that's obviously a totally different matter.

16-07-2017 10:33AM

Nobody is compelled to vote in any way.

The whipping system advises and threatens TDs with action in response to voting against the party lines, but that is not compulsion. They are still free to vote against the whip.

We have evidence of this as people have voted against the whips' recommendations in many cases, and some indeed have been expelled from parties as a result.

I'd rather we had a system where whips were not needed but our antagonistic immature parties refuse to even entertain the idea of not baiting and bating each other at every opportunity.

expectationlost · 16-07-2017 12:00PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Nobody is compelled to vote in any way.

The whipping system advises and threatens TDs with action in response to voting against the party lines, but that is not compulsion. They are still free to vote against the whip.

We have evidence of this as people have voted against the whips' recommendations in many cases, and some indeed have been expelled from parties as a result.

I'd rather we had a system where whips were not needed but our antagonistic immature parties refuse to even entertain the idea of not baiting and bating each other at every opportunity.

I don't think you can call it "many cases".

blanch152 · 19-07-2017 09:48AM

expectationlost wrote: »

so you all have people from the minister party standing up and repeating each other because the minister/senior party member told them to just like we've seen in the Judicial Commission debate.

This whole idea is an attempt to disenfranchise large segments of the population.

expectationlost · 19-07-2017 09:56AM

blanch152 wrote: »

This whole idea is an attempt to disenfranchise large segments of the population.

what idea?

Jasper79 · 19-07-2017 09:58AM

I agree with it 100%

Why should a person /party who represent <5 or 10% of the electorate, get equal time.

The idea, similar to gender quotas to me, are both anti democratic and should be done away with.

jimmycrackcorm · 19-07-2017 10:50AM

For Reals wrote:

I see the point in the more support, the more speaking time, but that dooms us to the civil war two tag team getting in the most spin. I think each major party, if under the whip, need no more than one representative speaker on any given issue.

And less time listening to the rubbish that Danny Healy Rae talks about. So a good thing.

Hitman3000 · 19-07-2017 10:55AM

jimmycrackcorm wrote:

And less time listening to the rubbish that Danny Healy Rae talks about. So a good thing.

Less time hearing Catherine Murphy or other credible Independents highlighting uncomfortable truths. A bad thing.

blanch152 · 19-07-2017 11:24AM

expectationlost wrote: »

what idea?

The OP's idea.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo · 19-07-2017 01:16PM

Jasper79 wrote: »

I agree with it 100%

Why should a person /party who represent <5 or 10% of the electorate, get equal time.

The idea, similar to gender quotas to me, are both anti democratic and should be done away with.

The OP is right here. The Whip System is enforced to such a strong degree that a party line is the only opinion that you will ever get.

I think you are being silly if you think a person/party who represents 5% or 10% of the electorate should get less speaking time. FF and FG themselves only have electoral support in the mid 20% (even less if you take the electorate as a whole).

It looks like an attempted power grab on talking time to me, and keeping any alternative to the FF/FG power dynamic in check.

Jasper79 · 19-07-2017 01:47PM

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

The OP is right here. The Whip System is enforced to such a strong degree that a party line is the only opinion that you will ever get.

I think you are being silly if you think a person/party who represents 5% or 10% of the electorate should get less speaking time. FF and FG themselves only have electoral support in the mid 20% (even less if you take the electorate as a whole).

It looks like an attempted power grab on talking time to me, and keeping any alternative to the FF/FG power dynamic in check.

The Government are inefficient and not very productive with the time they have.

Why should time be wasted listening to AAA, GP or SD majority which is not really probably listened to in fairness.

Speaking time, I think should be weighted with the seats held ie. % of the population they represent.

Hitman3000 · 19-07-2017 02:01PM

Jasper79 wrote:

Why should time be wasted listening to AAA, GP or SD majority which is not really probably listened to in fairness.

The SD not listened too? Who do you think was more effective in holding the previous government to account Catherine Murphy or some nodding donkey back bencher?

The Bishop Basher · 19-07-2017 02:04PM

Another nail in the coffin of our "democracy"..

For Reals · 19-07-2017 02:58PM

Jasper79 wrote: »

The Government are inefficient and not very productive with the time they have.

Why should time be wasted listening to AAA, GP or SD majority which is not really probably listened to in fairness.

Speaking time, I think should be weighted with the seats held ie. % of the population they represent.

Because Garda Corruption, Reilly's clinics, NAMA, piss poor performance in general.

If they need the support of the Healy-Rae's, they'll get to spout their nonsense anyway. Be nice to have some critics sound off at the government, if only for optics sure...

Jasper79 · 19-07-2017 03:07PM

For Reals wrote: »

Because Garda Corruption, Reilly's clinics, NAMA, piss poor performance in general.

If they need the support of the Healy-Rae's, they'll get to spout their nonsense anyway. Be nice to have some critics sound off at the government, if only for optics sure...

And they will have their say, just shouldn't get as much time as they currently do . They are looking to reduce speaking time not eliminate it.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo · 19-07-2017 03:09PM

Jasper79 wrote: »

The Government are inefficient and not very productive with the time they have.

Why should time be wasted listening to AAA, GP or SD majority which is not really probably listened to in fairness.

Speaking time, I think should be weighted with the seats held ie. % of the population they represent.

I don't agree sorry.

Power is already weighted so heavily towards the cabinet as things stand now. Wanting to concentrate that power even further, by making any opposition voices quieter would be bad for Irish democracy.

Having a rule where only the two biggest boys in the class get the chance to speak is not how a multi party parliamentary democracy should be run. The two parties combined don't even represent half of the people who care enough to vote in Dail elections anyway.

FF are tacitly supporting FG at this moment in time, it would be a stretch to call them effective opposition.
The thought of Varadkar and Martin having a Punch and Judy show back and forth with no other voices allowed into the discussion is frankly a horrible thought.

For Reals · 19-07-2017 03:10PM

Jasper79 wrote: »

And they will have their say, just shouldn't get as much time as they currently do . They are looking to reduce speaking time not eliminate it.

The point is, do we need several TD's repeating the same party line taking away from other voices?
We should reduce that kind of speaking time IMO.
People might hear something they like and help rid us of the civil war see-saw.

Jasper79 · 19-07-2017 03:12PM

For Reals wrote: »

The point is, do we need several TD's repeating the same party line taking away from other voices?
We should reduce that kind of speaking time IMO.
People might hear something they like and help rid us of the civil war see-saw.

When these TDS are they one's that are passing legislation ( through majority) then yes their voices are the more important ones.

For Reals · 19-07-2017 03:14PM

Jasper79 wrote: »

When these TDS are they one's that are passing legislation ( through majority) then yes their voices are the more important ones.

If they are telling us about it, that's important. Equally as important as those pointing out any flaws.

Jasper79 · 19-07-2017 03:18PM

For Reals wrote: »

If they are telling us about it, that's important. Equally as important as those pointing out any flaws.

Indeed, but when they hold a handful of votes compared to dozens who are voting the opposite way then what's to gain from them speaking equally as long.

For Reals · 19-07-2017 03:25PM

Jasper79 wrote: »

Indeed, but when they hold a handful of votes compared to dozens who are voting the opposite way then what's to gain from them speaking equally as long.

Maybe they've something important to say? The whole suggestion smacks of protectionism, the big two griping tighter on the throat of our democracy, like they need to. I'd suggest different views get equal time. Worse case scenario some Indy says something and it adds nothing. Best case scenario some Indy points out an issue of national importance the big two are trying to ignore. Well worth it. The only argument for this move is administrative, but not the goal, censorship is the goal, IMO.

expectationlost · 19-07-2017 03:27PM

Jasper79 wrote: »

When these TDS are they one's that are passing legislation ( through majority) then yes their voices are the more important ones.

government minister pass legisation, government TDs have little part in it, even at committee

Jasper79 · 19-07-2017 03:32PM

expectationlost wrote: »

government minister pass legisation, government TDs have little part in it, even at committee

by that fact then what part have oppostion TDs in it ? Why need to discuss in the dail?

expectationlost · 19-07-2017 03:35PM

Jasper79 wrote: »

by that fact then what part have oppostion TDs in it ? Why need to discuss in the dail?

that question has long been asked, the Dail is still pretty irrelevant even now gov just deals with FF in the back room.

Hitman3000 · 19-07-2017 04:25PM

Jasper79 wrote:

by that fact then what part have oppostion TDs in it ? Why need to discuss in the dail?

Imagine the sh*t the government would get up to if none of what they tried to introduce was discussed in the Dail.

FF and FG want to cut speaking time for independents and small parties to allow...

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