The incoming Parliament has to navigate away from the sometimes exceptional but more often box-ticking, mediocre, kowtowing-to-ministers that was the track record of a turbulent five-year term.

If work is measured in the number of committee meetings, House sittings, committee reports published and public hearings held, the outgoing Parliament boasts a stellar track record. But what's missing in this numerical fixation is quality.

It's been a tumultuous five years for this outgoing Parliament that insists on calling itself the Sixth, echoing government's use of officialese obfuscation that's unlikely to appeal beyond the bureaucratic echo chamber.

The more than 730-day Covid lockdown of various levels of restrictions was followed on 2 January 2022 by the devastating fire that gutted the National Assembly and severely damaged adjoining buildings. Both tested Parliament's administration and political leadership.

Read more in Daily Maverik: Lengthy and complicated construction lies ahead in R3bn Parliament rebuild

While years of talk of video conferencing didn't lead to using such tech, in 2020 Parliament quickly went online as a new way of holding committee meetings and plenaries. The upside of this is greater public access for all who have enough data.

However, the drawback is that lawmakers' votes are no longer recorded individually in the Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports, or Parliament's work record.

Political party whips count and declare numbers of their MPs. Individual votes...