"And Thank You To The Member For The Question!"

Rory J. Koopmans, B. Admin., #6, 14504-108 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5N 1G8

May XXXIst, MMXVI

Hon. Dave Eggen, B. Ed., MLA, Minister of Education, New Democratic, Edmonton-Calder

Dear Dave:

In over 1,500 plus question periods in 36 plus years of watching them at the Alberta Legislature, you begin to notice things & student groups who attend there might pick up on this as well. In my 2,015th visit to the Legislature Bvilding yesterday, I keep on noticing the "& thank you to the member for the question" by the New Democratic cabinet ministers to opposition questions. With the most flagrant user being the Hon. Sarah Hoffman, B. A., B. Sc., B. Ed., M. Ed., MLA, Deputy Premier & Minister of Health, New Democratic, Edmonton-Glenora & my MLA. If the cabinet ministers stuck with just "Mr. Speaker" or "thank you Mister Speaker" & eliminated the portion where they thanked the member for the question (& then proceed to not answer it in most cases anyway), that would save 2-5 minutes I estimate each of the four Question Period days. Which would allow for say 1-3 more questions & responses. I've timed it on my stopwatch hundreds of times. It has now become a stall tactic & I don't single out Rachel or Her Majesty's Government of the New Democratic persuasion of 53 weeks as the previous Progressive Conservative administrations also did this. Of course the best thing about QP is its never a repeat episode!

Just A Thought,

Rory

Source: Www.Assembly.Ab.Ca