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SINGAPORE – The government agreed in principle to broadcast parliamentary proceedings live, Communications and Information Minister S. Iswaran said.
He told the House on Friday (September 4) that his ministry will study the technical and implementation details.
While he said the government still maintains its previous reservations about live streaming, he noted that global and technological trends have made online streaming common and has seen legislatures in other countries go live streaming procedures.
In May, then-House Leader Grace Fu rejected renewed calls for the live broadcast, noting that there are other avenues for the public to view the proceedings.
All speeches and exchanges are recorded and made available online, with video clips uploaded within hours of each session. People can also choose to see Hansard or attend parliamentary sessions in person.
“These already provide us with all the benefits of transparency, accountability and accessibility,” noted Mr. Iswaran.
The government, he said, has been reluctant to go further with live streaming for practical and political reasons.
The demand for such live broadcasts, including keynote speeches, is generally low, with only 10% of that for free-to-air news.
And the debate in Parliament, a forum for serious debate on national issues, should be vigorous, but with a sober tone, he said.
“A slash and thrust element is inevitable, even necessary, because members want to show Singaporeans that their concerns are being expressed and that questions are being asked and answered in Parliament,” he said.
“However, it is equally important that members face the issues and their complexities and not just play gallery. Live broadcasts run the risk of compromising this. “
But in the spirit of collaborating with Singaporeans, the government will study how to implement the live broadcast of Parliament, he said.
“Our goal, as always, will be to achieve transparency, accountability and accessibility while preserving the integrity and dignity of parliamentary procedures.”
Mr Iswaran pointed out that MPs should not just be the voice of the people in Parliament.
They must also be the voice of hope and the voice of reason, he added. “Being honest about the challenges we face, honest about the options and the tradeoffs, not just about what we want, but also about what we have to give up to get there, and ultimately what we think is in the long-term interest for our citizens. ”
This is something that MPs should not take lightly, he said.
“What we say cannot be stopped saying. It’s there for the record in the future and everyone – Singaporeans, new citizens or born in Singapore, others here – everyone will be watching this, ”he added.
“And I believe that in this House, as elected representatives, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard. If we don’t, I think we are failing in our duties as Members of Parliament and I think ultimately we are not doing Singaporeans any favors. “
Opposition leader Pritam Singh said he welcomed the change and acknowledged the government’s concerns.
“But we believe that that element of the theater will also be exposed and the public will conclude fairly quickly, if not immediately… who is here to turn Parliament into a theater and who is here to take Parliament seriously as a forum. where serious matters are discussed, ”said the head of the Workers’ Party.
Mr Iswaran replied that the experience of other countries does not give Singapore “much reason to be optimistic in terms of the tone and nature of the debates in Parliament, and the impact such a broadcast or broadcast will have.”
“Is there a causal relationship? We do not know for sure. But there are reasons to have concerns, and that is why I articulated what I did, ”he said.
“So what it means is that at the end of the day it is not axiomatic one way or another, and it is up to all of us as parliamentarians to maintain the decorum, dignity and integrity of our proceedings through rigorous fact-based and focused debate. in the long-term interests of Singaporeans. “
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