Rudeness at Question Time

Parliamentary Question Time is a lesson in how not to behave. If you’re trying to teach your children good manners and respect for others, please don’t let them watch this appalling sideshow.

Heckling is traditional, but it’s gone beyond a tradition and is simply rude, sarcastic, disruptive and any other adjective you wish to use. Why bother to ask a question if it’s intended to shout down the answer?

The rudest thing of all is the constant use of the words ‘‘she’’ and ‘‘her’’ by the Opposition when addressing questions to the prime minister and other women MPs. This is demeaning and disrespectful and needs to be addressed.

All members are entitled to respect, be they male or female. The prime minister always refers to questioners as ‘‘the member’’. Is it too much to ask that MPs treat each other as they would wish to be treated?

M. Monaghan, Paraparaumu [abridged]