Only half of the public satisfied with work of the House  – poll

Only half of the public is satisfied with the work of the House of Representatives, while an overwhelming majority would like to see parliamentary committees aired live, a poll has found.

Carried out by IMR/University of Nicosia on behalf of Zenox Public Affairs, the survey asked respondents whether they’d like live coverage of parliamentary committees, and why.

Eighty-six per cent said they wanted committees to be broadcast live. A breakdown showed the consensus held across the genders and all age groups.

Asked whether live broadcasts would bolster transparency and the decision-making process, 47 per cent replied “Yes, definitely” and 41 per cent said “Probably.”

Meanwhile 70 per cent of respondents agreed with the proposition that television coverage would cause legislation to pass faster.

A majority – 80 per cent – felt that the attention on MPs would cause them to up their attendance at parliamentary committees.

And 61 per cent thought that, with live coverage, politicians would feel more responsible for their words and actions.

Asked which media they’d watch the parliamentary committees on, the majority said television, followed by YouTube and Facebook.

In response to another question, 46 per cent said they were “slightly satisfied” with the work of parliamentary committees to date, and 12 per cent “not satisfied at all.”

Just 2 per cent were “very satisfied,” and 36 per cent “quite satisfied.”