Question time in a parliament occurs when members of the parliament ask questions of government ministers (including the prime minister), which they are obliged to answer. It usually occurs daily while parliament is sitting, though it can be cancelled in exceptional circumstances. Question time originated in the Westminster system of the United Kingdom, and occurs in other countries, mostly Commonwealth countries, who use the system.
In practice, the questions asked in question time are usually pre-arranged by the organisers of each party; although the questions are usually without notice. Questions from government backbenchers are either intended to allow the Minister to discuss the virtues of government policy, or to attack the opposition. A typical format of such a government backbencher's question might be "Could the Minister discuss the benefits of the government's initiative on
Read more about Question Time: Australia, Finland, Hong Kong, Japan, United Kingdom, United States
Famous quotes containing the words question and/or time:
“The question arises as to whether it is possible not to live in the world of men and still to live in the world.”
—Louise Bernikow (b. 1940)
“A house means a family house, a place specially meant for putting children and men in so as to restrict their waywardness and distract them from the longing for adventure and escape theyve had since time began.”
—Marguerite Duras (b. 1914)