March 19, 2018
Free Green questions not for cheap political shots
Greens leader James Shaw hopes National won't take cheap shots with the questions he has given it.
Mr Shaw says the Greens no longer want to participate in patsy questions where Government back benchers ask ministers soft questions.
Instead National can use its questions, although the Greens do reserve the right to take some back if the need arises.
He says National's leader Simon Bridges seemed surprised at the unsolicited gift, but signaled his intention to use them wisely and well.
It now becomes a test of character.
"If they just use the opportunity to take cheap political shots, that says something about them, but if they use them to do what question time is supposed to which is to interrogate us on how well we are doing our jobs and things we haven't necessarily thought of or how we are doing as a government then that's worth it, that is what question time is actually supposed to be about," Mr Shaw says.
He says rather than using patsy questions as a device to make ministerial announcements, parliament could set aside time for ministers to make such announcements.
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