Blackening of files

Opposition in state parliament asks the government too many questions

For more than a year, discussions have been going on in parliament about blacking out answers to questions.(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

There is a new party dispute in the Salzburg state parliament about questions and access to files. Today, talks are underway between the parliamentary groups about new rules of procedure.

How much is the opposition allowed to know about the government's work? What information does the state government have to hand over to the parties in parliament? These questions have become more explosive with the constellation of the black-blue state government and a left-wing opposition in the state parliament.

Answers to questions have been blacked out and now the state government has too many questions. In addition, the questions are too detailed. Department 10 of FPÖ provincial councillor Martin Zauner has commissioned an expert opinion on this, which will be discussed by the provincial parliamentary parties today. SPÖ parliamentary group chairman Max Maurer finds it strange that a department of the provincial administration has commissioned and paid for an expert opinion on a topic of the provincial parliament.

Maurer also has problems with the content: "These are fundamental principles that are being called into question. Restricting access to files is questionable in terms of democratic policy." Parliamentary President Brigitta Pallauf (ÖVP) says, "We need a common way of reading our rules of procedure again. This is not about restricting the right of interpellation."