Opposition’s role under the spotlight

IN reviewing the evolving political situation you might discuss the role of the opposition in a modern parliament.

Should we retain the ritual of adversarial politics where members entering the opposition benches park their critical faculties and join the chorus of consistent rejection of policy proposals emanating from the reigning government? Alternatively, should we encourage every member of the Oireachtas to engage constructively in rigorous policy analysis, thus enhancing the quality of policy formation?

In other words, should parliament become a genuinely deliberative assembly? This approach would also help to educate public opinion, enabling parliament to exercise its teaching role as advocated by Walter Bagehot in the mid-nineteenth century. Referring to the House of Commons he wrote: “A great and open council of considerable men (sic) cannot be placed in the middle of a society without altering that society. It ought to alter it for the better. It ought to teach the nation what it does not know“.