Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker. I want to say that when one makes a farewell or says goodbye to people there is usually somebody to say goodbye to, but the House is so empty this afternoon it all seems a little bit hollow.
I want to say right upfront how strange it is to say farewell to an almost empty House, but it really has been the most fascinating year. It started off with the local government elections, and the pace did not seem to subside after that at all. All of a sudden we are here at the end of the year, saying farewell, and I must say the prospect of some well-earned leave is in sight. It has been a fascinating year. It is difficult to even remember the beginning of the year, with those local government elections hanging over us. One other thing is that there has been a great deal of work during the course of the year. The local elections played havoc with the parliamentary programme and we certainly had to play catch-up to a large extent.
There are a number of other things that have happened during this year as well. For example, we have had the trial of a senior party office bearer of a particular party on rape charges, the imprisonment of prominent members of a particular political party on fraud and corruption charges, the unwillingness of a certain political party - in fact two political parties - to accept defeat in the local government elections and their extraordinary attempt to regain power at all costs.
All of these and many other matters have actually influenced and affected the political landscape during the course of the year, but here in Parliament there have been other matters as well, not least of all the ongoing saga of Travelgate with all its ramifications; the Oilgate issue and all that is happening around that now; the Civil Union Bill, with special mention of the extraordinary manner in which it was handled and then, of course, the extraordinary motion of censure of the DA Chief Whip, brought about by the ANC Chief Whip. I am sure we will all accept that there is a particular lesson to be learned from this incident. We are aware that we have an absent friend here today in the form of the same ANC Chief Whip, who seems to have mysteriously disappeared from the scene. Lots of rumours persist, of course. Most of the year he has been present in the Chamber, which at times has taken on the appearance more of a lynch mob than the highest debating Chamber in the land.
But I would say that the important lesson to be learned is this: Be careful who you injure on the way up because you never know when and how you might need them on the way down.
Indeed, it has been a fascinating year. But quite frankly, the fighting is over for a while and it is time now to contemplate a well-earned rest. In doing so, however, we must again bear in mind that when we return next year we will not have the steadying, highly professional hand of Kasper Hahndiek to guide us and again we wish him well in his retirement and thank him for all he has done over the 36 years he has spent in Parliament.
It is also appropriate now to say thank you to other people who have played an important role in Parliament this year.
I want to begin by thanking the ANC very sincerely indeed. This year they have given us so many opportunities to attack them and it has been absolutely wonderful. We have enjoyed every one of them. Thank you for a job truly well done. We look forward to next year, which we are sure will be more of the same. You really do have some big issues to resolve and we look forward to watching you do so. To the ANC, you have made our job most enjoyable, thank you very much indeed. I want to thank the staff of the National Assembly for their hard work. They are a close-knit and professional team. Thank you all for your assistance at all times. While we will miss Mr Hahndiek, we know that you will do the job superbly after he has gone and you will continue his fine tradition. Of course, I do say to the Table staff that a little bit more bias towards opposition parties will be very much appreciated.
I also want to thank the presiding officers and the House Chairs for their role. I am sure that they may have noticed that the DA does not always agree with all their rulings or, certainly, all their decisions but we do acknowledge and accept that they wield the authority and we respect that and consequently toe the line. A lot of important things have happened this year, apart from Mr Van der Merwe's cake and, quite honestly, I want to say to the House - because a great deal of interest has been shown in this particular cake - that it looked a lot better than it tasted and I do have to stress again to the hon Koos that the quality of the candle was totally inappropriate. To bring a candle of such poor quality into this House, I believe, was shocking, but a great deal of this was initiated by Madam Speaker and Madam Deputy Speaker during the course of the year.
I do want to say sincerely that for me one of the highlights of the year was working on the committee established by Madam Speaker on the Moseneke Commission and chaired by the hon Geoff Doidge. It was a great experience. But I would like to say that I hope that committee's work will bear much fruit in the new year.
I also want to thank all my fellow Whips, both from my own party and from other parties. We have worked well together this year and as it is the end of the year and therefore in the spirit of Christmas, I would like to thank hon Sam Louw, who is not in the House at present. Okay, I do recognise him now. Sam, thank you very much for making programming meetings particularly interesting. I also want to thank hon John Jeffery just for being what he is. Certainly, these two gentlemen have helped to make some meetings very interesting, and of course the hon John Jeffery has also helped to make some meetings very boring, but that is another matter all together. And of course I do want to thank hon Margaret Rajbally for just being Margaret.
To the service officers, to the staff, to the security services and everyone associated with Parliament - even Public Works, believe it or not - thank you for what you have done this year and have a good break.
But especially to all of us, Members of Parliament, the DA wishes you all well and a safe and very happy festive season.