Latest news with #debate
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Concern Stormont MLAs delivering pre-scripted remarks for social media clips
Concern has been expressed that Stormont MLAs are delivering pre-scripted text in the Assembly for a clip on social media. Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots said he was also concerned that Points of Order are being raised about 'the normal cut and thrust of debate'. Almost a year and a half since the Northern Ireland Assembly was restored, Mr Poots has written to MLAs about the standards of debate in the chamber. He also made his points at the start of the plenary session on Tuesday. Mr Poots, who has been elected to the Assembly for almost three decades, said he has witnessed 'political giants who passionately articulated their own case', but also engaged in debate and 'realised that they had to give as good as they could take'. 'Our standards of debate are often referred to in the context of the first element – the standard of remarks made about other members. However, there has been a decreased focus on the second element – the concept of debate,' he said. 'If the Assembly is to be serious about its scrutiny role, having a strong culture of parliamentary debate is vital.' Mr Poots said requiring MLAs to take care in their language and have civility in exchanges 'is not intended to, and should not, prevent passionate and robust debate'. 'In my time in the Assembly since 1998, I have been privileged to witness political giants, who passionately articulated their own case, engaging in debate,' he said. 'However, they also realised that they had to give as good as they could take. 'The freedom to challenge and to express different views in debate are core to this Assembly's core functions of exercising scrutiny, holding ministers to account and representing our constituents. 'Proper debate is about both having the opportunity to state your own views and listening, responding to and challenging the views of others. 'Some members increasingly concentrate only on stating their own opinions. ' Technology has created a temptation for members to deliver a pre-scripted text in the Chamber, shortly after which they leave to issue a clip of their speech on social media. 'If debate was only about a series of members reading out pre-scripted thoughts on an issue, without interaction, there would be no need for an Assembly Chamber – we could do it by email.' He added: 'I am also concerned about the tendency to raise Points of Order with the chair about the normal cut and thrust of debate, rather than challenge those points themselves.' He went on to say he is expanding the Ten Practical Principles of Debate circulated in 2021 to 'ensure they focus not only on interactions between members, but also on having a strong culture of debate and challenge'. 'When the Assembly has responsibility for making legislation which impacts on people's lives, it is vital that members are able to probe all the arguments before the Assembly takes a decision,' he said. 'It is my role to encourage the conditions for members to be able to exercise effective scrutiny and accountability in the Chamber. 'I therefore ask all members to take the time to reflect on the principles I have set out in the attachment and to adhere to them in debate.'
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
I am passionate, not emotional, says Rafizi
Former economy minister Rafizi Ramli said those close to him would know that he had 'no emotions'. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Rafizi Ramli, who resigned as economy minister, says his passion in debating an issue is often misinterpreted by others as being emotional. The Pandan MP acknowledged that many quarters had mocked him for being 'emotional' but said those close to him knew 'I have no emotions'. 'People often mistake emotions, which are personal, with passionate arguments. For me, after I'm done arguing a matter, I don't feel anything at all. 'Politics is just a job. Some people rejoice at winning political posts; to me, it's like getting a new posting at work,' he said in a post on X. The former PKR deputy president said the high and low points in his life were personal occasions like the birth of his son, performing the haj with his father, and the death of one of his closest friends; and that they largely had nothing to do with his political career. 'Politics is just a daily routine for me. Politics, posts; they're all just a job. That's why some might not understand why I have never given up on my political efforts. 'Because politics is just a job. We all work till the day we die.' Rafizi resigned as economy minister after losing the PKR deputy presidency to Nurul Izzah Anwar last month. He remains the MP for Pandan and also heads the PKR division there.
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Concern Stormont MLAs delivering pre-scripted remarks for social media clips
Concern has been expressed that Stormont MLAs are delivering pre-scripted text in the Assembly for a clip on social media. Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots said he was also concerned that Points of Order are being raised about 'the normal cut and thrust of debate'. Advertisement Almost a year and a half since the Northern Ireland Assembly was restored, Mr Poots has written to MLAs about the standards of debate in the chamber. Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots (Liam McBurney/PA) He also made his points at the start of the plenary session on Tuesday. Mr Poots, who has been elected to the Assembly for almost three decades, said he has witnessed 'political giants who passionately articulated their own case', but also engaged in debate and 'realised that they had to give as good as they could take'. 'Our standards of debate are often referred to in the context of the first element – the standard of remarks made about other members. However, there has been a decreased focus on the second element – the concept of debate,' he said. Advertisement 'If the Assembly is to be serious about its scrutiny role, having a strong culture of parliamentary debate is vital.' Mr Poots said requiring MLAs to take care in their language and have civility in exchanges 'is not intended to, and should not, prevent passionate and robust debate'. 'In my time in the Assembly since 1998, I have been privileged to witness political giants, who passionately articulated their own case, engaging in debate,' he said. 'However, they also realised that they had to give as good as they could take. Advertisement 'The freedom to challenge and to express different views in debate are core to this Assembly's core functions of exercising scrutiny, holding ministers to account and representing our constituents. 'Proper debate is about both having the opportunity to state your own views and listening, responding to and challenging the views of others. 'Some members increasingly concentrate only on stating their own opinions. 'Technology has created a temptation for members to deliver a pre-scripted text in the Chamber, shortly after which they leave to issue a clip of their speech on social media. Advertisement 'If debate was only about a series of members reading out pre-scripted thoughts on an issue, without interaction, there would be no need for an Assembly Chamber – we could do it by email.' He added: 'I am also concerned about the tendency to raise Points of Order with the chair about the normal cut and thrust of debate, rather than challenge those points themselves.' He went on to say he is expanding the Ten Practical Principles of Debate circulated in 2021 to 'ensure they focus not only on interactions between members, but also on having a strong culture of debate and challenge'. 'When the Assembly has responsibility for making legislation which impacts on people's lives, it is vital that members are able to probe all the arguments before the Assembly takes a decision,' he said. Advertisement 'It is my role to encourage the conditions for members to be able to exercise effective scrutiny and accountability in the Chamber. 'I therefore ask all members to take the time to reflect on the principles I have set out in the attachment and to adhere to them in debate.'
BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Edwin Poots: 'We could do it by email' says Assembly speaker
The standards of debate in the Northern Ireland Assembly mean "we could do it by email", the Stormont speaker has Poots said technology had created the temptation for MLAs to deliver a "pre-scripted text" which they can immediately release through a clip on social a letter to all Stormont MLAs entitled Standards of Debate in the Assembly, he said "having a strong culture of parliamentary debate is vital".Poots said the existing standards of good temper, contest, moderation and respect towards other members would be expected in any legislature. 'Political giants' He said: "Members know that my general approach is that regardless of my own opinion on the views expressed by a member, it is my role to protect their right to say it."Requiring members to exercise care in their language and have civility in our exchanges is not intended to, and should not, prevent passionate and robust debate."While there has to be some level of procedure to ensure our business runs smoothly, effective members will be able to find ways to make the points they want to make in the appropriate way, at the appropriate time."Poots said that in his time at Stormont he had been privileged to witness "political giants" who passionately articulated their own case. However, he said they also realised that they had to "give as good as they could take"."Proper debate is about both having the opportunity to state your own views and listening, responding to and challenging the views of others. "Some members increasingly concentrate only on stating their own opinions."He added: "If debate was only about a series of members reading out pre-scripted thoughts on an issue, without interaction, there would be no need for an assembly chamber – we could do it by email." In 2021 the previous Speaker Alex Maskey issued MLAs with a document called Ten Practical Principles of successor has now expanded those principles to ensure they focus not only on interactions between members, but also on "having a strong culture of debate and challenge".Last year, Poots was criticised for saying he would have the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister's "clock cleaned".Allister said the remark had "the colloquial and indisputable meaning of indulging in physical violence".But Poots said Mr Allister was "being a little sensitive".
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
NY's Mannion, Lawler trade barbs in heated House spat. What was said?
Two New York members of Congress had a heated spat on the House floor that began when Democratic Rep. John Mannion angrily confronted Republican Rep. Mike Lawler. The clash took place at a supercharged moment on Thursday, June 12, after Democratic U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, was forcibly removed from a press conference and handcuffed by federal agents, stoking Democrats' fury. According to an Axios account, Lawler was talking with a colleague on the Democrats' side of the room when Mannion shouted at him to "do something" and "grow a pair of balls." He laced that message with expletives, according to what was picked up in a C-Span broadcast and quoted by 'F---ing get over there and get some f---ing balls.' Mannion, a freshman representing the Syracuse area, later gave Axios a more sanitized description, saying "I asked him to compel his colleagues to save the country and stop what the people of this country do not want ... the defiance of law." One reporter who witnessed the dustup posted on X: "Wow. Massive shouting fight on the floor. A house democrat is screaming at Mike lawler to get Off the democratic side of the floor." Lawler soon posted in response: "John Mannion was entirely unhinged and unprofessional. That was a shameful display that exposed his complete lack of temperament." Lawler, a second-term member from Rockland County, didn't detail what the two said to one another, but closed with some profane advice: "He should go seek help for anger management — and f--k off." In an interview on Friday, Lawler told the USA Today Network the run-in came out of the blue as House members were casting votes and he was chatting with Rep. Jimmy Pannetta, a California Democrat and fellow member of the Problem Solvers Caucus. All of sudden, he said, Mannion began screaming at him from about four rows away. "It was one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen happen on the House floor," he said. Lawler said he was so surprised he asked if Mannion was talking to him. He was. They exchanged profanities. What Mannion was demanding of him was unclear when the encounter ended, Lawler said. "It was unhinged, it was certainly unprofessional," Lawler said of Mannion's outburst. Mannion said in a statement that he's fighting for his hometown and country to "stop the rise of authoritarian government and the destruction of American democracy." "If making some noise on the house floor and calling out Trump enablers draws attention to what's happening to our country right before our eyes — good," he said. "Today it's roughing up and handcuffing a United States Senator and a politicized military patrolling the streets of American cities. It's the willing abandonment of the rule of law and a gross fealty to a want-to-be dictator who is tearing the country apart. None of this is normal or okay." The backdrop was a political storm over President Donald Trump sending National Guard troops and Marines into Los Angeles to quell protests over his mass-deportation push. Democrats have condemned Trump's orders as inflammatory and authoritarian. Padilla, the senator from California, planned to question Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem at a press conference on Thursday when he was pushed from the room and handcuffed on the ground by federal agents. Partisan tensions were also evident Thursday at a day-long House hearing at which Republicans berated Gov. Kathy Hochul and two other Democratic governors for "sanctuary" policies toward undocumented immigrants. As Democrats were ripping the Trump administration for rounding up law-abiding parents and children, Republicans were deploring what they see as overly lax policies. Chris McKenna covers government and politics for The Journal News and USA Today Network. Reach him at cmckenna@ This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Immigration debate: NY's Mannion confronts Lawler on House floor
