A heated four-hour debate unfolded in the House of Representatives on October 21, as government and opposition MPs clashed over the National Recruitment Drive, ministry vacancies, and budgetary allocations for the Ministry of People, Social Development, and Family Services. The Standing Finance Committee ultimately approved a budget of $6,012,215,208 for the ministry, but not without intense exchanges. Social Development Minister Vandana Mohit revealed approximately 634 vacancies in her ministry, sparking questions from opposition MPs about the recruitment drive’s purpose and qualifications for advertised posts. Opposition MPs, including Stuart Young and Keith Scotland, pressed Mohit for clarity, leading to repeated interruptions and appeals for order from Speaker Jagdeo Singh. Mohit emphasized that the recruitment drive was not designed to fill positions under the service commissions’ purview, while government MPs defended the allocations as sufficient. The session also saw personal jabs, with MPs accusing each other of childish behavior and political bias. The debate highlighted the ongoing tensions between the government and opposition, with Singh cautioning MPs against creating a ‘Potemkin village’—a facade masking deeper issues.