Question period ruling unites Opposition

All three of Alberta's opposition parties are united in their criticism of a Speaker's ruling over how questions are to be asked during the legislature's fothcoming session.

Speaker Ken Kowalski released a schedule this week outlining the sequence in which questions are to be asked during the daily question period. The legislature resumes sitting Thursday witha throne speech.

The schedule is being criticized by all three opposition parties, with one Wildrose Alliance MLA even accusing the Speaker of bias.

Both the Wildrose Alliance and theNew Democratic Party argue they are being treated unfairly.

On paper, the two parties get two daily questions but they argue it's really only one question since the 50-minute-long question period usually expires beforetheir secondary questionscan beasked.

The Liberals still have eight questions a day the same as they had when the legislature shut down last fall. But they aren't happy either.

Liberal House Leader Laurie Blakeman said the real problem is the number of government-side backbenchers who are given time during question period.

"We're already very unusual in Alberta in that we give prominence to government backbencher questions ... so no, I don't think opposition should be giving up questions."

The opposition parties are hoping to reach an agreement with the Tories on a revised speaking order.

If they can, they'll present that agreement to Kowalski early next week.

There are currently 83 members in the Alberta legislature -- 68 Progressive Conservatives, nine Liberals, three Wildrose Alliance, two New Democrats and one Independent.