April 16, 11:31 AM 
514 Chai Chee Lane 03-16, Singapore 469029 Mothership Memo is Mothership’s daily brief on the important headlines of the day. We will also contribute our views on the issues at hand.
PM Lee takes stock of Parliament sittings since 2011
In a Facebook posting, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that Parliament prorogues and will be resuming in a month's time. He noted that in two-and-half years, Parliament saw "valuable debates on our White Papers on Ministerial Salaries and Population. We have passed Budgets that include major economic and social policies ... MPs have filed many questions to obtain information, press for actions, and solve their voters’ problems." He also noted that while our Parliament sittings are not as fiery as other legislatures, "the duty of government is to manage affairs responsibly and soberly, and not to create entertainment and excitement."
It's a pity that Parliament sittings are not made available for viewingon terrestrial TV or through a streaming service. Being able to see Parliament Questions being asked, answered, and debated will give Singaporeans greater clarity on how their MPs actually bring constituents' concerns up to the ministers; they will also be able to see how ministers answer questions and whether MPs stand firm on their points when, and if, they ask follow-up supplementary questions. If only more Singaporeans bothered to go down to view sittings through the public gallery at Parliament.
Less than 500 private property units sold in March
Compared to the 2793 new units sold in March 2013, the 480 units sold in March 2014 represents only one-sixth of the volume last year. 724 units were launched for sale in March compared to 691 launched in February. 724 units were sold in February.
The slow down in the property market can be attributed to a combination of the authorities' cooling measures, US raising interest rates, as well as the rising attractiveness of equities after a sluggish three years for equities. The slump in property prices will definitely be attractive for property hunters now, but the question is when will prices hit rock bottom?
Top photo from PM Lee Hsien Loong's Facebook
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