Deputy Speaker, the matter that I wanted to address is a matter that the Minister of Education has dealt with comprehensively. Unfortunately, hon member De Lille is not here, because I want to deal with just one technicality.
One of the things I agree with is completely populist: There is the conception that we ought to fund higher percentage demands, because we have a surplus. Just to address that: A surplus is a result of a phenomenon in a business cycle that generated higher revenues from higher corporate taxes because there was a boom, higher commodity prices and also VAT.
Hence, that is what generated this, and we also say VAT because we live in an environment of lower interest rates. That is beginning to change, and what happens if there isn't this high revenue and you have committed to expenditure on the basis of a boom period? Who is going to fund that?
It reminds me of when I was growing up in Pimville, where people bought hi- fi radios and hi-fi sound systems because they received a bonus in December, and we all knew that come February, Ellerines is coming around for repossessions. Is that what we want to put this country through? Thank you. [Applause.]