Ted limits questions in Parliament | Fraser Coast News | Local News in Fraser Coast

Bay MP Ted Sorensen has dismissed a report that showed he has asked only one question without notice during Parliament since his election.

IT IS neither unusual nor unacceptable for Ted Sorensen to have asked only one question without notice in the Qld Parliament since his election last year.

The Hervey Bay MP yesterday dismissed a report that showed he had got to his feet only once since he won the seat previously held by Andrew McNamara.

“If you know anything about Parliament it’s usually our shadow ministers who ask the questions,” Mr Sorensen said in Brisbane.

He said he regularly put questions on notice to government ministers and argued this was the more productive process.

“They are very important because when we put them in, the ministers have to put their answers in writing within 30 days.

“It’s not like a question without notice when they get up and rave on and don’t answer the question.”

Mr Sorensen is among six LNP MPs to have asked only one question without notice since the 2009 election, with four other party members not asking a single question.

His one question without notice last year was about a proposed stroke unit for Hervey Bay and Mr Sorensen will be following this up in Parliament this week with a question on notice to Minister for Health Paul Lucas, asking him when a recommendation by the National Stroke Foundation will be acted on.

He also highlighted a question on notice he asked about future high schools for Hervey Bay.

“I got a response back saying it would be 20 years before a new high school was built in Hervey Bay. That brought that to the forefront for the people in the Bay.”

He said parliamentary question time, when questions without notice were asked, was generally the preserve of LNP leader John-Paul Langbroek, deputy leader Lawrence Springborg and shadow ministers.

Each MP has the right to ask one question on notice per sitting day.

“Sometimes the party will ask you to ask a question that is not specifically relevant to your own area.

“But we usually get to control the questions we ask and will have decided on them the week before.”