There is a lack of stimulating, meaningful debate in the National Assembly, Democratic Alliance Deputy Chief Whip Mike Ellis told MPs on Thursday.

"Very little real stimulating debates take place in this House, and quite frankly... debates themselves have become little more than speech-reading sessions, rather than real debates," he said.

Speaking during debate on Parliament's budget vote, he said question time in the House had become boring.

"Question time, as it is structured now, is probably the most boring part of the parliamentary programme. It should never, ever be this."

Ellis appealed to Speaker Max Sisulu to set up a committee to restructure question time.

"Let us also introduce rules that make it absolutely compulsory for ministers to answer questions, both written and oral, timeously and fully so that proper oversight can take place."

'Sweetheart questions'

The current system undermined the role of opposition parties, and allowed the ruling African National Congress to ask the majority of questions, "all of which are little more than sweetheart questions".

Opportunities for MPs to ask good, probing questions on issues of real importance and of proper oversight were all but lost.

"A further trend has also crept in whereby some ministers do not seem to believe it is necessary to even turn up to answer questions when it is their turn."

When it came to written questions, the story was equally bleak.

"The rules stipulate that ministers should reply within 10 working days of the question being asked.

"I have to tell the House that since 2006, a staggering 498 questions have never been answered by the Executive," Ellis said.

On debates, he said that apart from debates on legislation and budget votes, hardly any meaningful debates took place.

"All but gone are debates proposed by parties or members — they just are not scheduled any more. Yet opposition Parties want more debates on issues that they feel are important.

"In 2008, the DA proposed 44 topics for discussion. Only one was debated.

"The ANC's 297 members in last year failed to introduce a single motion, a clear indication that they do not take this area of work very seriously."

Ellis called for Parliament to be made more relevant.

"Mr Speaker, let us make Parliament more relevant by introducing a proper system of debates and discussions in this House over a wide range of subjects, and create proper slots for members' topics and motions to be debated.

"Please address too the important job of re-assessing the way in which things are done in Parliament, with a view to making it more interesting and appropriate in terms of what we are expected to achieve," he said.

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