Allegra Spender (Wentworth, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in support of this motion. This country faces real issues, but question time does not deliver answers to those questions that we have to face as a country. It delivers a show for the benefit of the media, but it does not deliver to the young people, to the people in the audience or, frankly, to the Australian people. It is the major parties' shouting match. It is unedifying, and it actually is incredibly detrimental to people's understanding and belief in politicians and in our democratic processes. I had a dinner last night with 30 women who were from around the country, women leaders, who spent 90 minutes in question time and basically asked, 'What on Earth was that all about?'—because it was completely pointless in terms of benefit to the Australian people. It is self-indulgent and wasteful. I think this is an opportunity where we should demand answers to questions. It is not unreasonable that in question time we get reasonable answers to questions. That is what the Australian people expect of us, and that's what we should expect of ourselves.

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