Mattie McGrath Condemns Reduced Speaking Time, Calls It Bullying
Mattie McGrath criticised changes to the business committee and reductions in speaking time, calling the measures heavy-handed. He objected strongly to restrictions that cut opposition speaking time to five minutes and to a planned move across the river to the convention centre before a finance bill vote.
Speaking time and consultation
Mattie McGrath said the business committee altered speaking arrangements without consultation, leaving his group and other opposition parties limited to five minutes each.
Government counter motion and precedent
He noted the government put a counter motion, which he described as within precedent, but said the real issue was the tactic of shortening debate time and changing the schedule.
Relocation to the convention centre and scheduling
McGrath criticised members 'decamping across the river to the convention centre' at what he called enormous cost and time, saying the move could have been avoided because the finance bill vote was due the following day.
Characterisation of tactics
He characterised the actions as heavy-handed and an attempt to 'crush the opposition', expressing his objection in the strongest terms.
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I'm the same, I was at the business committee yesterday, as you know, and that was, even time was changed without any consultation, so there are people in this house that want the business committee just destroyed, defunct, and this is obviously, you know, the motion no conference is just in feign motion, but the government decided to put a counter motion, and that's the right, and that's precedent, but the trick of the loop is the speaking time, we're down to five minutes, our group, and all other opposition parties are restricted in time, and also the fact then that we're here now for 20 minutes or whatever, and then decamping across the river to the convention centre, at enormous costs at the base of time, but this could have been done tomorrow, we're voting tomorrow anyway on the finance bill in the convention centre, so it's just pure, as far as I'm concerned, heavy-handed and bullied by tactics by the government, in an effort just to crush the opposition, and I object in the most strongest manner.
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