6.1.1 The Minister in the Presidency, Mr Trevor Manuel, in a debate on the 2013 State of the Nation Address (SONA) emphasised the importance of accountability in a democracy, stating that "it is crucial that society is able to look to the skills and competencies of Parliament to safeguard their interests. Good technical skills of parliamentarians backed by solid research teams are critical to stronger parliamentary oversight". In May of the same year he elaborated on this theme in a speech on the role of parliaments in long term sustainable growth. The Minister then identified "vigilant Members and a strong administrative system" as essential to parliamentary oversight that took a broad, long-term view of the impact of Executive actions especially in relation to planning and budgeting.