IN COMMITTEE ; Why Committees Count

In the glitzy world of broadcast media, a select committee assignment is the journalistic equivalent of being shipped off to the Gulag with a one-way ticket. But select committee meetings are where the real life and soul of Parliament is to be found. Over the years submissions so lucid they bordered on genius have been reported on. Tales so heartrending that strong men have wept have been listened to. Stories so funny that proceedings had to be adjourned so that the committee could compose themselves have also been heard. And on one infinitely sad occasion, a gentleman passed away during his submission. Another reason that select committee hearings are fascinating is that matters are dealt with in depth. Real issues are thrashed out with even the politicians largely abandoning the sloganeering of the House. For those who have the privilege of watching the full kaleidoscope of select committee activity, there is also the enthralment of the sheer variety of matters that may tumble out of the committees on any given day.