Summarised by Centrist
Parliament’s Speaker, Gerry Brownlee, is pushing for the first major overhaul of Question Time rules in over 40 years, aiming to empower opposition MPs.
Calling Question Time “an unequal competition,” Brownlee argues that the current format favours government ministers, who enjoy more freedom in their lengthy answers. At the same time, questioners face tight restrictions on providing context.
Brownlee argues that ministers can evade direct answers by using broad or unrelated responses, while opposition MPs struggle to set up their questions fully. His proposal would allow MPs to give more background before asking questions, a practice Brownlee says is common in other parliaments like Westminster.
The change would boost the opposition’s ability to hold the government to account by enabling sharper, better-framed questions. However, some suggest this could also intensify political point-scoring and make Question Time even more combative.
The suggested change arose during a query from Labour MP Kieran McAnulty, the Shadow Leader of the House, who asked whether questions including context or commentary, like a recent one from NZ First leader Winston Peters, were now permitted.
This exchange sparked Brownlee’s call for the Standing Orders Committee to reconsider the rules, aiming to allow questioners more freedom to set context before posing their questions.
The Standing Orders Committee will soon review Question Time rules, with public input welcomed.
