Sitting of Tuesday, 3 December 2024
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1733459564028450 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
Order of business
Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.
- 1 Opening Opening of Parliament and Affirmation 1 speeches
- 2 Papers Papers: Supplementary Estimates and Notifications 1 speeches
- 3 Procedural Procedural: Points of Order and Standing Orders Clarifications (Vote on Account, Ministry Advisory Committees, Party Leaders' Agreement) 71 speeches
- The Hon. (Dr.) Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana SJB
AI summary Dr. Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana rose on a point of order. No substantive argument, proposal, or question was recorded in the provided excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. (Dr.) Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana SJB
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana argued that the Vote on Account should not proceed only through the scheduled two-day debate but must be referred to the Committee on Public Finance under Standing Order 121, citing its links to Article 152 of the Constitution. He also stated that, because it is connected to the Government’s IMF Agreement and economic stability, it should be presented to the Committee on Economic Stabilization under Standing Order 123.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. (Dr.) Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana SJB
AI summary Dr. Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana raised a procedural concern that the Committee on Public Finance had not yet been appointed and therefore had no Chair. He noted that the Vote on Account should be presented to that Committee, implying that its absence affected the proper scrutiny process.
- Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva SJB
AI summary Dr. Harsha de Silva cautioned the Speaker against allowing a Vote on Account or similar fiscal measure to bypass the Committee on Public Finance, arguing that such instances had occurred only in exceptional or controversial circumstances. He cited precedents from the October 2018 constitutional crisis, the period before the 2019 election, and under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and urged that the practice not be normalized.
- Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva SJB
AI summary Agreement had been reached, but parliamentary procedures for conducting business must still be followed. He cautioned that past departures from proper procedure should not be treated as precedent or justification for repeating them.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake stated that the Vote on Account had been discussed at the Party Leaders’ Meeting and should not be treated as solely a Government matter. He noted that Parliamentary Committees had not yet been reconstituted after the election and argued that failure to pass the Vote on Account would affect not only Government operations but also institutions such as the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, citing existing precedents.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary Bimal Rathnayake stated that the proposal to suspend Standing Orders for the Resolution had been discussed and agreed at the Party Leaders’ Meeting, where Hon. Rauff Hakeem was present. He argued that presenting the Resolution on that basis was procedurally proper and not unusual.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Rauff Hakeem briefly signalled agreement with the matter before the House, stating “indeed we accept” before the recorded excerpt ends. No further argument, proposal, question, or reference to legislation is available in the provided text.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Rauff Hakeem stated that although party leaders had agreed on the matter, the proper parliamentary procedure had not been followed. He argued that a formal notice to suspend the Standing Orders should have been given before taking up the issue, and identified that omission as the procedural problem.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary The Minister clarified a procedural point, stating that the relevant item had not yet been moved and that Members were raising it prematurely during proceedings. He referred to the Minutes of the Committee on Parliamentary Business and said the agreed Order of Business from the Party Leaders’ Meeting would be followed, including the suspension of Standing Orders before proceeding, while noting that the debate was not scheduled for that day.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary The Minister stated that the Vote on Account debate was scheduled for 5 December and should not be taken up on 3 December. Citing the Minutes of the Party Leaders’ Meeting of 25 November 2024, he said the matter had been placed as a Resolution with notice under the Constitution, despite references to technical issues and suspension of Standing Orders 27 and 121. He urged Party Leaders to respect the consensus reached and avoid wasting parliamentary time by revisiting the schedule.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Gayantha Karunatilleka - Chief Opposition Whip SJB
AI summary Gayantha Karunatilleka noted that party leaders had agreed to include the Vote on Account in the Order Paper and asked when it would be presented. He emphasized that, because it covers government revenue and expenditure for the next three months, Members need sufficient time to study it.
- The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary The Minister stated that party leaders had agreed to debate the Vote on Account on the 5th and 6th, noting that the related Resolution had remained on the Order Book longer than required due to the Parliamentary Election context. He said the Supplementary Estimate was ratified by Cabinet the previous day and circulated to Members, and that the next date would be fixed democratically at the forthcoming Party Leaders’ Meeting. He requested the Speaker to proceed with the scheduled debate, arguing it was necessary to maintain the functioning of the country.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha SJB
AI summary Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha rose to a point of order. No substantive argument, proposal, or policy issue was stated in the excerpt provided.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha SJB
AI summary Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha raised a procedural objection under Standing Order 27(7), stating that a Ministry Statement should be presented by the relevant Minister, the Prime Minister, or the Leader of the House. He requested that the Statement presented by the Speaker be corrected and re-presented in the proper manner.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary Bimal Rathnayake rejected a procedural allegation by Hon. Nalin Bandara, stating that the claim was incorrect and that the Government had come prepared. He explained that a Secretariat mix-up led to him being asked to lay two parts, but the Speaker properly laid them, so no procedural error had occurred.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary The Minister stated that the Government had completed its preparatory work on the matter under discussion. He requested that Members not turn the proceedings into a debate.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Aruna Jayasekera - Deputy Minister of Defence
AI summary The Deputy Minister reported on the Government’s response to severe weather caused by a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal, which affected 24 districts and led to an emergency declaration by the President. He stated that 469,872 people from 139,439 families were affected, with 18 deaths and 20 injuries, and that the number in safe centres had fallen from 38,616 to 7,946. He outlined relief measures including deployment of the Tri-Forces, Police and Civil Security Department, coordination through district officials, visits by Ministers and officials, and an additional Treasury allocation of Rs. 300 million for relief and recovery.
- The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara SJB
AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara raised a point of order referring to the Deputy Minister’s remarks and the reported destruction of over 380,000 acres of paddy cultivation. He asked what measures the Government plans to take to resume cultivation in the affected areas.
- Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayathissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip JJB
AI summary The Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip raised a procedural query, asking under which Standing Order Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara was making his request or intervention.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara SJB
AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara raised a matter under Standing Order No. 31. The provided text contains no substantive speech content beyond the procedural reference, so no specific issue, proposal, or demand can be identified.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayathissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip JJB
AI summary The Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip challenged the procedural basis of a remark or intervention, stating that no valid point or Standing Order had been identified. He asked the Member to clarify what was being cited.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara SJB
AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, citing Standing Order No. 31, questioned the Minister of Agriculture on the proposal to restart cultivation with a grant of Rs. 40,000 per acre. He noted that only Rs. 1 billion had been allocated and that farmers lacked cash due to past difficulties in obtaining fertilizer and funding, and requested sufficient funds to at least begin cultivation activities.
- The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake began addressing Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, but the provided excerpt contains no substantive statement, proposal, question, or argument to summarize.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara SJB
AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara requested permission to speak. No substantive policy position, proposal, or question was presented in the recorded statement.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary The Minister, as Leader of the House, asked the Member to identify the specific Standing Order under which they were proceeding.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary Minister Bimal Rathnayake, as Leader of the House, asks Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara to specify the Standing Order under which he is speaking or raising a point.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary Minister Bimal Rathnayake referred to Standing Order 31 to clarify that simply standing up does not entitle a Member to the microphone during proceedings. He stated that, under the Standing Orders, questions on public affairs may be directed to the Prime Minister or to the relevant Minister responsible for the subject or function assigned by the President.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara SJB
AI summary Dayasiri Jayasekara stated only that he had spoken accordingly. No substantive policy position, proposal, question, or legislative issue was raised in the recorded remark.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary The Minister stated that the matter raised did not constitute a valid point of order.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara SJB
AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara raised a point of order concerning parliamentary procedure, objecting that the Speaker had given the floor to the Leader of the House before allowing him to finish. He requested that he be permitted to conclude his point before any response or intervention is made.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara SJB
AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara rose under the Standing Orders and specifically invoked Standing Order 31. He requested that Standing Order 31 be read, indicating that his intervention was procedural rather than on a substantive policy matter.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary Bimal Rathnayake stated that the member had not cited any relevant Standing Order, indicating that the point raised lacked a procedural basis under parliamentary rules.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara SJB
AI summary Dayasiri Jayasekara indicated that he had already made his remarks in line with the proceedings. No substantive policy position, proposal, or demand is recorded in the provided excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Nihal Galappaththi JJB
AI summary Nihal Galappaththi raised concerns over the welfare and rights of retired members of the armed forces, including issues relating to pensions, allowances, promotions, and recognition of service. He called on the Government to address grievances affecting ex-servicemen and their families and to ensure that policy decisions are implemented fairly and without delay.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara SJB
AI summary Dayasiri Jayasekara invoked Standing Order 31 to clarify that, during parliamentary business, questions on public affairs may be directed to the Prime Minister or to the relevant Minister responsible for subjects or functions assigned by the President. He appeared to raise this as a procedural point in response to objections or interruptions during the sitting.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara SJB
AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara raised a procedural matter under Standing Order 31. No substantive policy issue, proposal, or question is contained in the provided excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary The Minister said the point raised did not properly fall under an Order, but acknowledged that disaster impacts were a serious matter. He proposed that a Party Leaders’ Meeting be held later that morning under the Speaker’s leadership to decide how Members from affected districts could be heard in an orderly manner, and urged that the House not be turned into a shouting arena or misuse Standing Orders.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara SJB
AI summary Requested that Members representing affected districts, from both Government and Opposition, be briefed by the relevant Minister after the Party Leaders’ Meeting. He specifically noted a major crisis in Ampara and asked that it also be discussed.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary Moved and secured agreement for several procedural motions governing the sitting and committee arrangements of the First Session of the Tenth Parliament. These included setting the day’s sitting hours, appointing a 12-member Committee of Selection under Standing Order 114B, suspending Standing Order 111 until 31 January 2025, and temporarily substituting references to Sectoral Oversight Committees with Ministerial Consultative Committees in Standing Order 50(2) until the same date.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB
AI summary Moved a motion to empower Ministry Advisory Committees, until 31 January 2025, to examine Bills other than those covered by Article 152 of the Constitution, agreements, institutional annual and performance reports, and other matters referred by Parliament, committees, or Ministers within their subject areas. The motion authorized such committees to report their findings to Parliament and was agreed to.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva SJB
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva raised a point of order seeking clarification from Hon. Bimal Rathnayake on the proposed use of “Ministry Advisory Committees” in place of “Sectoral Oversight Committees.” He asked whether the change would alter the committees’ mandate or was merely a change in terminology.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB
AI summary Bimal Rathnayake stated that Party Leaders unanimously agreed to review the mandate, scope, and number of Sectoral Oversight Committees based on an earlier report submitted to the Speaker. He said a further report should be prepared by 31 January with the Speaker’s guidance and expert input, and that until then Bills and reports would be referred to Ministry Advisory Committees to allow parliamentary business to continue.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. S.M. Marikkar SJB
AI summary Hon. S.M. Marikkar sought clarification on the procedural implications of a committee name change. He asked whether the existing Sectoral Oversight Committees and Ministry Advisory Committees from the previous Parliament were being merged into a single category, or whether they would continue to function separately.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB
AI summary Both Sectoral Oversight Committees and Ministry Advisory Committees will continue to exist, with the latter functioning until 31 January. Bimal Rathnayake explained that the previous Parliament’s large number of committees, around 88 to 93, created burdens for officials and parliamentary staff and caused subject overlaps. He said Party Leaders agreed to obtain a report by 31 January on how the Sectoral Oversight Committees should proceed, and clarified that they are not being abolished.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Ajith P. Perera SJB
AI summary Hon. Ajith P. Perera argued that Sectoral Oversight Committees are an important mechanism for backbench Members to contribute to policymaking and should not be abolished or curtailed. He also raised a procedural concern that renaming them as “Ministry Advisory Committees” would conflict with the existing Standing Orders, where such committees are separately defined.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB
AI summary Bimal Rathnayake clarified that Sectoral Oversight Committees are not being renamed or abolished, and that only their functions are temporarily changed until 31 January. He stated that, with the concurrence of Party Leaders, the committees will be restarted after that date, and urged the new Chief Opposition Whip, Gayanta Karunathilaka, to communicate Party Leaders’ decisions clearly to avoid confusion.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Mujibur Rahuman SJB
AI summary Mujibur Rahuman sought clarification from the Leader of the House on the status of Sectoral Oversight Committees, noting that unlike Ministry Advisory Committees, they are not chaired by Ministers. He emphasized that these committees play a distinct role in scrutinizing Ministers and their Ministries, and urged that they not be invalidated but allowed to continue.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB
AI summary Bimal Rathnayake stated that no existing parliamentary arrangement was being invalidated or abolished. He said proposals based on the experience of parliamentary staff had been submitted to and approved by Party Leaders after constructive engagement, and indicated that further debate was unnecessary.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri SJB
AI summary Chaminda Wijesiri sought the Speaker’s permission to raise a matter under Standing Order 92(2)(g). No substantive issue or proposal was stated in the excerpt provided.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri SJB
AI summary Chaminda Wijesiri argued that any suspension of Standing Orders must be done by Parliament, not solely by a Party Leaders’ meeting, and should follow the correct provision, citing Standing Order 138 rather than 111. He said the Opposition does not dispute agreements reached among party leaders but insisted that where Standing Orders require parliamentary approval, such as in proceeding with a Vote on Account without a Budget, that approval must be obtained. He urged the Speaker and Leader of the House to act constitutionally and in compliance with parliamentary procedure.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB
AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake assured the House that the proceedings were being conducted in accordance with the agreement of the Party Leaders. He stated that no rules were being breached and that there was no cause for concern.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- 4 Procedural Procedural: Points of Order (Party Leaders Definition, Provincial Council System) 7 speeches
- 5 Procedural Procedural: Committee on Selection Meeting Announcement 1 speeches
- 6 Debate Debate: President's Policy Statement 11 speeches
- 7 Procedural Procedural: Party Leaders' Meeting Announcement and Chair Change 1 speeches
- 8 Debate Debate: President's Policy Statement (Continuation with Maiden Speeches and Responses) 83 speeches