Question Period is probably one of the most exciting times for a visitor to view the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly. It is also the only part of the daily proceedings that is regularly televised (check your local cable listings for details).
Question Period lasts about 45 minutes. It is an opportunity for Opposition MLAs to seek information about important matters which fall within the responsibility of the government or of the specific Ministers to whom the question is addressed.
Watch Question Period Live
Available When The House Is In Session
This presentation is available LIVE using Windows Media Player:
Monday through Thursday at approximately 1:30 p.m. and
Friday at approximately 10:00 a.m.
(During Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne and the Budget)
How does Question Period Work?
Question Period has a reputation for being quite chaotic, but in actuality it is very tightly regulated.
An MLA is generally allowed an initial question and up to two supplementary or subsequent questions on the same general subject area. Parties are only allowed to ask a predetermined number of questions based on the size of their caucus, and must ask questions in a specific order - always leading with the Leader of the Official Opposition. The questions and responses are all timed, in order to prevent excessive speeches.
Hansard
Hansard is a printed record of the debates of each sitting of the Legislative Assembly, containing a verbatim record of speeches made, including those made in Question Period.
To read Hansard click here.
