Question Time - TV Antics

As my fellow classmates have found, internshipping and working while keeping up with uni work is very tough indeed - especially when subjects require students to attend a hearing or watch a program that is broadcast at 2pm in the afternoons. While the podcasts are a great way of hearing everything that goes on – with the added advantage of being able to access the files anywhere and at any time, watching the real thing is much more interesting and definitely much more entertaining. It wasn’t until I discovered that Question time airs at the lovely time of 12:35am that I was able to watch and listen to what goes on, on Tuesday 11 September.

As I have said in previous posts, while I find the issues discussed very heavy and boring, I have found the process of Question Time quite amusing. Watching the process and the shifting camera angles, cranky faces and rising noise and anger levels as senators become agitated dramatically increased the entertainment level. Watching the program live is also very disjointed and fast paced but I thoroughly enjoyed laughing at the bored looking faces of people sitting behind speakers, the women dressed in red walking past cameras to ensure everyone had enough water, and although i had heard the need for "order, order" to be interjected, watching the smart alec comments and anger are much funnier in the flesh.

Once more there were the very rehearsed answers, with statistics about how well the Australian government was doing in "diligently spending 10.4 billion dollars on security" and then there were the catty comments with senators sarcastically beginning their spiel by congratulating the questioner on asking a "very good question".

It was interesting once again to hear such a wide range of issues that keep popping up such as the troops in Iraq, changes in security since September 11, Climate Change, Kyoto in light of APEC the week before, the Equine influenza and issues relating to Fishing, in particular recreational fishing.

Watching the politicians body language and when they get revved up was much more exciting than staring into space while listening to political matters via my ipod!!