This is a video of John Bercow’s re-election as Speaker on 18th May 2010.
Something for Madam Halimah Yacob to chew upon – the importance of impartiality and her role as “champion of the backbenchers”. I don’t believe any of the Speakers during the Deaf-Mute PAP-dominated Parliaments have ever taken the role of “champion of the backbenchers” seriously.
@ 0:49 to 1:22 – John Bercow: “I would discharge my duties IMPARTIALY, not just between parties but between individual members. Above all, I would defend the rights of backbenchers to hold the government to account and to champion the causes dear to their hearts.”
@ 5:44 to 8:30 – The Right Honourable Member for Kensington, who has been in the House long enough to see six different Speakers summaries what in his view are the 3 essential requirements for a Speaker to have:
1) Be absolutely fair as between individual members;
2) Use his/her great power and authority in the House with flexibility and on occasion with humour to control the temperature; and
3) Act as the Champion of the Backbenchers against not just the Government front bench (i.e. Ministers) but also the Opposition front bench (i.e. Shadow Cabinet) as well.
Well, the Opposition in Singapore does not as yet have the numbers to form a Shadow Cabinet. It’s high time we elect more Opposition MPs to make that possible.
[video=youtube;Gi1mQyYsMis]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi1mQyYsMis[/video]
Something for Madam Halimah Yacob to chew upon – the importance of impartiality and her role as “champion of the backbenchers”. I don’t believe any of the Speakers during the Deaf-Mute PAP-dominated Parliaments have ever taken the role of “champion of the backbenchers” seriously.
@ 0:49 to 1:22 – John Bercow: “I would discharge my duties IMPARTIALY, not just between parties but between individual members. Above all, I would defend the rights of backbenchers to hold the government to account and to champion the causes dear to their hearts.”
@ 5:44 to 8:30 – The Right Honourable Member for Kensington, who has been in the House long enough to see six different Speakers summaries what in his view are the 3 essential requirements for a Speaker to have:
1) Be absolutely fair as between individual members;
2) Use his/her great power and authority in the House with flexibility and on occasion with humour to control the temperature; and
3) Act as the Champion of the Backbenchers against not just the Government front bench (i.e. Ministers) but also the Opposition front bench (i.e. Shadow Cabinet) as well.
Well, the Opposition in Singapore does not as yet have the numbers to form a Shadow Cabinet. It’s high time we elect more Opposition MPs to make that possible.
[video=youtube;Gi1mQyYsMis]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi1mQyYsMis[/video]
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