Hon Speaker, the trade union movement has the right to have views about things and I don't think that should surprise anyone, because they specifically represent a particular class - the working class - with very specific interests. It should not be a surprise if they've got views about it. Of course, you can't tell them what to say or not to say. It is their absolute democratic right to raise their views, and if they were not raising them, there would be something wrong. Precisely because of that, the ruling party said that it was going to engage the trade union movement to deal with these matters as we normally do together with them.
The fact of the matter is that the National Development Plan has been accepted overwhelmingly by the whole country, including the working people. I'm sure that even trade unions have different views and it does not mean that because they belong to the same trade union movement, therefore they have to think the same. The thinking of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, Cosatu, the National Council of Trade Unions, Nactu, etc, for example, is not exactly the same. It does not mean that because if you are workers, then you have to think the same. It is discussions that bring people closer. I'm sure that we will have an opportunity to engage the union that has views about the National Development Plan and we will find one another. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Advisibility of maintaining Public Enterprises and necessity of Public Works, State Security and Women, Children and People with Disabilities departments
5. Dr M G Oriani-Ambrosini (IFP) asked the President of the Republic:+
(1) What progress has been made in the Presidential Review of the persistent necessity or advisability of maintaining the Department of Public Enterprises;
(2) whether he has or will cause studies to be conducted on the necessity of the Departments of Public Works, State Security and Women, Children and People with Disabilities; if not, what measures he contemplates in order to reduce the size of government? NO558E