Deputy Speaker and hon members, on behalf of the FD, I wish to bid you and all presiding officers farewell until 2007. I would also like to thank you, Deputy Speaker, and all presiding officers without exception for the manner in which the National Assembly meetings were conducted. Meetings were often very lively and vibrant, as an earlier debate today illustrated, and in response presiding officers were challenged to take a firm stand to maintain the decorum of the House.
If there is one member who must get an award for the most graphic and original speech, it has to be the hon Koos van der Merwe, who takes the cake with icing, and candle, included, of course!
Allow me to thank all party-political leaders, presiding officers, Chief Whips and all parliamentary staff for a job well done. A special vote of thanks goes to Mr Kasper Hahndiek for over 30 years of work well done at Parliament.
We have come to the end of a very busy year and the time has come for us to return to our constituencies to complete our constituency work. We must never forget that we are here because of them. Our lives as MPs would be empty and futile if we could not have a positive impact on the lives of our constituents.
As we enter this festive season and have our huge meals, we must be mindful that there are still millions of people without proper housing, without electricity and water, or basic services. Our job is not done until we ensure that all the laws we have passed and all the reports we have accepted, when implemented, will significantly improve the quality of life for all our people.
May God bless you and your families as you take a well-deserved rest, and may all those who celebrate Christmas have a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year. I thank you.