> From: Naomi Bar-Yam <[log in to unmask]>
>
>> An interesting occurrence in Melbourne Australia which has headlined the
>> newspapers and TV news today. A female politician was asked to leave the
>> parliamentary chambers for breastfeeding her 11 day old baby while
>> parliament was sitting.
>
> I'm so glad to see that this made the newspaper in such a positive
> way. It's clear how the newspaper wants the story to turn out.
> Perhaps something will be done to clarify/change the rules regarding
> bf in Parliament, so that Ms Marshall can represent her constituents
> effectively without compromising her baby's health, or vice versa
> can take care of her new baby without compromising her constituents.
>
> What is "question time?"

Question time, or Question Period is a time set aside each day while the
House is in session for opposition members of parliament to question the
government of the day.

There are house rules that may differ but usually the leader of the
opposition asks the first question and then other opposition members get to
ask. Typically the opposition "shadow" ministers will question their
corresponding ministers of the crown - so the shadow minister for health
would ask the health minister about funding for breastfeeding.

Question Period is the most publicized part of debate in this system.

Many parliamentary systems that have derived from the British Parliamentary
System have this tradition. We have this in Canada in our federal house of
Commons and also in our provincial legislatures.

I think it's intriguing that the Speaker of the House in Australia is a
woman.

-- Jodine Chase
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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