Speaker, the Minister of Finance has made repeated calls for moderation and curtailment of unnecessary spending from the state coffers. In Parliament we sit with a severe shortage of suitably qualified legal advisors and appropriately skilled committee support personnel. This inevitably results in repeated embarrassing situations when unconstitutional legislation or rulings are adopted.
Yet this week, the Chief Whip of the Majority Party deemed it fit to unilaterally host a praise event for President Zuma. What was purportedly a gathering of religious groups through a body which was established as the interfaith council, finally turned out to be little more than an exclusive ANC rally canvassing support for a particular leader on the road to Mangaung.
The Chief Whip did not fund the event from his own purse, and neither was it sponsored through some of the ANC's extended patronage networks. It was paid from Parliament's budget without the prior knowledge, approval or consensus of the Chief Whips' forum.
We cannot and we will not allow the issue to disappear amongst the floorboards; especially now that Parliament has just fired the Secretary to Parliament for using unauthorised funds to build a wall on his property. Why, then, should we allow more than R2 million to be spent on a Zuma- lobbying event?
Cope will insist on transparency and the truth, and will use whatever channel or processes may be required to ensure that parliamentary funds or any other public resources are not abused for personal or political advancement of any individual or party. Thank you. [Applause.]