Northern Secretary Peter Hain has been criticised by a number of the Assembly parties at Stormont about how he has dealt with them.
During a four-hour debate on a motion from the minister on spending priorities for a future Stormont government, unionists, nationalists and cross-community politicians attacked Mr Hain for his treatment of MLAs.
Democratic Unionist leader the Rev Ian Paisley, opening the first debate in the Assembly for a month, said it was outrageous how Mr Hain had treated the Assembly since its recall in May.
He said in particular that it was not right that Mr Hain could reject suggestions from MLAs for debates.
"When I listen to the Secretary of State, and when I look at the [ order] papers that we eventually get through from him on the business of the house, I think they are absolutely ridiculous," Dr Paisley said.
"They can change within hours - not within days, but within hours.
"I think the time has come when the Assembly needs to put out a signal to the Secretary of State and say, if this is the way you want to continue business you can do it on your own.
"There is no use in pretending that this Assembly has at least some democracy when it has very little, and, indeed, would have none at all if the Secretary of State had his way."
With Sinn Féin boycotting yesterday's debate, as it has done throughout the lifetime of the recalled Assembly, Dr Paisley also said it was ridiculous that Gerry Adams's party could dictate what was debated by refusing to agree motions sent to Mr Hain.
SDLP leader Mark Durkan claimed Mr Hain was weaving between two vetoes in the political process exercised by the DUP and Sinn Féin."We all need to recognise the phoniness of this exercise [the Assembly debate]," he said.
Alliance Party leader David Ford said yesterday's debate was a farce. He accused Mr Hain of acting in a macho manner towards the Assembly, and devaluing the Assembly by the way he handled it.
DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson also insisted Mr Hain should stop pulling the Assembly's strings. "The Assembly should be master of its own house. It is clear there is a puppet-master who wants to pull the strings."
As the debate took place members of Dr Paisley's party held talks with Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte.
They were holding their first joint visit to Belfast in what was being seen as a significant move in the North. - (PA)