Hoose Of Keys - 22nd May 2007

[lisner]

Apparently yesterday the House of Keys were debating whether or not to have all the proceedings broadcast. At present it is only the start of the session that is broadcast - Question Time.

 

Please note that the complete proceedings of Tynwald are broadcast. Tynwald being that time once a month occurrence when the House of Keys and the Legislative Council pow-wow together, usually to finalise matters as they have now passed through their respective strands of Government.

 

But here is the point: by the time parliamemtary business has arrived at Tynwald it is too late for any of us to do much about it and often that is the first we will have heard.

 

So we need to have at least the opportunity to hear what our elected members are talking about in the Keys, what plans they are hatching on our behalf.

 

I am led to believe there were many strong and emotional arguments both for and against broadcasting the Keys. Quintin (Rushen) reckons we would be bored with it all anyway. Johnny Shimmin (Douglas West) believes it simply wouldn't give value for money. However, perhaps surprisingly, our Chief Minister spoke very passionately in favour for the broadcasting of the whole proceedings.

 

There was apparently much laughter in the House when Peter Karran - not known of course for falling into step with ministers, Chief or otherwise - seconded Tony Brown's motion. These two souls - who sit adjacent to each other in the House - thinking very much in unision.... it was a sight to behold they tell me.

 

But anyway, the motion failed by the narrowest possible of margins, with the speaker giving his casting vote. Maybe PK giving support gave the motion the kiss of death. The House of Keys and indeed Tynwald can be like that......

 

Tim Crookall (Peel) in what was one of his first speeches (if not his maiden speech?) certainly fancies himself as the comedian of the House but spoke well and he was well supported in what he said, er, although I'm not sure if he was for or against the motion. In his speech, he did however call The Honourable Member for Douglas East, "Brenda". This slip provided further light relief in what was already quite an amusing debate, and put a glint and sparkle back in the eye of a few, not least Mrs Cannell herself.

 

To be serious, my thoughts are that the House of Keys should be broadcast complete. Yes it can get a bit dry and possibly boring to some (although the most bored always seem to be some of the MHKs themselves . . . .) but there are certainly items on the Order Papers that will be of definite interest to people of the Isle of Man. Otherwise why would they be there in the first place?

 

Maybe the Manx Radio website should introduce the live feed showing what is being debated into the House of Keys. maybe there could also be occasional announcements on Manx Radio FM so we know where the House is up to in their (our?) business and interested parties could then switch to Manx Radio AM.

 

But to my mind, the most important point is that by the time a matter comes to Tynwald, it is often too late for any of us plebs to do anything about it. It is when a debate is initiated in its early stages that we need to be in tune with it, get involved, not when it has been round the Houses and up to get approved on the nod in Tynwald.

 

Once the Hansard is published, usually a month later, proceedings will be old news (as asserted by the Chief Minister). It will be interesting to see a synopsis of yesterday's debate along with a list of those members who voted for and those against having the Keys broadcast. Then we will see who could be considered perhaps a little arrogant.

 

Maybe we should just rely on reading Hansards when they are published for our update of what is going on? I can tell you this for sure though . . . . and Tony Brown underlined this point, the press are rarely there for the duration of the House of Keys, although a Manx Radio representative is usually there having a chuckle at it all. I didn't see this topic being reported though. Maybe Manx Radio feel they have a vested interest?

 

I wonder what do others think about broadcasting the House of Keys in it entirety.

[Lonan3]

Anyone who has had cause to research past times on the island will be aware that there was a time when the entire proceedings - more or less verbatin - were recorded in the local newspapers. At the time, they were the only source of such news and it was, therefore, justified.

It was also the case that many of those who occupied places in the chamber appear to have been both eloquent and intelligent - although the printed word, even with the best of intentions, cannot reveal tone and inflection.

In today's world, radio and television (and the internet) are the principle media for the dispersal of such news and so, at first glance, it would appear entirely reasonable that the whole proceedings should be broadcast.

It becomes an even more attractive proposition when Manx Radio have a 'medium wave' outlet that, for most of the time, appears to be 'going spare.' Apart from Radio TT, the Hallelujah Corporation on Sunday evenings, and part of the Breakfast Show when both of Alex Brindley's fans are tuned in, I'd guess that it doesn't receive a great deal of attention. Since most people, I suspect, prefer to listen on FM, I don't really think they'd lose a large portion of their listening public if they used the MW for parliamentary debates.

The case against, of course, is that they probably wouldn't gain very many either. Since a large proportion of the population find it tiresome - to say the least - to even go out and vote once every five years, I can't see many listeners hanging onto every word of a speech by any of our MHKs unless it is on a subject that is specifically relevant to themselves.

Personally, therefore, I have to adopt an ambiguous position on the subject: I believe that it should be broadcast - but I would rarely bother to listen in!

[thebees]

Its all rubbish anyway, they rake over the same old things year after year, nay decade after decade. For an example, in 1971 they discussed the waste plant at Richmond Hill, they got round to building it in the 1990's. The same can be said for the Ramsey Marina, the Port St Mary Marina, the new hospital, the pier at Ramsey - all you need to learn to be a politician in the Isle of Man is 'how to put things off until they are stupidly expensive' and have the ability to waffle away until the people are tired of caring.

[Slim]

They should just stream it over the net. Dirt cheap and easy to achieve. There for those that want it and not intrusive for those that dont.