Teixeira calls for more fact-based, realistic presentations in Parliament

In a sobering presentation on Friday afternoon, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira expressed much dismay at the quality of contributions from Opposition Parliamentarians during this week’s budget debate.

Teixeira has been a Parliamentarian for more than three decades. As she spoke about the $1.558 trillion budget for this year, the well-respected politician was critical of the heavy reliance on anecdotes and “emotionalism” throughout the debates.

“If you think that’s going to get you far as a politician, good luck,” Teixeira told her colleagues in the National Assembly, while also reflecting on years gone by, where debates were characterised by serious research and data-driven arguments.

She also expressed much concern that Opposition Parliamentarians seemed prone to critiquing the spending plan without appreciating how progress is measured. The Governance Minister said governments work alongside other stakeholders— be it religious bodies, the private sector, or community groups— to bring relief to people and try to solve social issues. She also pointed out that direct cash transfers aren’t the only initiatives to support people; instead, she said, investments in healthcare and infrastructure result in improvements in people’s lives too.

“I’m not saying there’s no poverty, there is. There are gaps we have to close,” Teixeira said, but affirmed that the People’s Progressive Party Civic government was improving the lives of citizens sustainably over the years.

Teixeira’s presentation was devoid of heckling, a seemingly unusual feat in the National Assembly. Though critical of her opposition colleagues, it was as though she was transferring her institutional knowledge and encouraging them to represent their constituents better in the House. And when the Speaker, Manzoor Nadir, realised she had gone past her allotted speaking time and highlighted that, there were calls for her to borrow speaking time from Parliamentarians yet to contribute.