The Matter is Closed

At times, with regards to the day to day dealings of the Dáil, it is easy to forget that away from all the squabbling there are underlying structural voids to be filled. Alex Garine (LPT at-large) luckily stepped up to the plate, with his Speakers 'cap' on, and submitted the Rules of Procedure bill. The bill is fundamentally the same as the pre-constitution Dáil Code of Conduct which set out various structural guidelines with relation to the submission and processing of legislation. So then what is it about this bill that caused a minor stir, in true Tománnach style?

The answer lies in article 2.2 which relates to the manner in which the bills are voted upon by Dáil members. The article states:

2.2 A vote must be conducted in public, and ballots may not be secret.

This goes against the former Dáil protocol. Previously Dáil ministers were protected by complete anonymity when it came to voting for bills. It was always seen as a necessity to allow ministers to not be forced by their parties to undertake a vote which goes against there own political conscience. When Mark Prendergast (DLP at-large) first responded to this by proposing an amendment to the bill he was met with opposition initially from Garine. Later Vindrus York (NFP at-large) stepped in, continuing on his current crusade for greater accountability from government, saying:

If the government has nothing to hide from the people or the opposition, then public votes will force accountability to our representatives.

Following York's comments, Prendergast continued to battle on. It was only a matter of time until Prendergast, along with the Communist Party and Democratic Labour Party, all voted in favour of an amendment. So it is that under the rules that Garine has laid out the bill must be amended.

Prendergast upon receipt of the news that things had gone in his favour in the Dáil delivered this comment to the Independent:

This was a victory for freedom of ministers conscience and a strong indication that party loyalty will not take precedence to doing what's right for the people of Talamthom. After having successfully argued through this amendment to the bill despite staunch opposition from Messrs Garine and York.

No doubt this will add fuel to the current campaign of Mr York and the NFP to prize open the government and subject ministers to increased checks. With this said, the President has extended the hand of friendship to the NFP saying if they wish to conduct an enquiry into anything at all in Talamthom, he would be willing to assist them and answer any questions. The offer remains.