PARLIAMENT CONTEMPTUOUS OF BUDBET VOTE DEBATES

 "Budget vote debates are being ignored in Parliament as up to six budget debates are taking place everyday and are taking place at the same time as portfolio committee meetings. The result is that budget debates are being watered down, are poorly attended by MP's and it appears as if it is not important at all. Budget debates are supposed to be the most important debates as Parliament has to decide how taxpayer's money is to be allocated and spent. This behaviour results in MP's not being able to fulfil their duties and cannot be accountable to voters," Mr. Pieter Groenewald (MP), Parliamentary Leader of the Freedom Front Plus says.

On Tuesday four budget debates were held, i.e. International Relations and Cooperation as well as Communications took place in the morning while Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Health took place in the afternoon. The same day twenty portfolio committees started their proceedings in the morning and some lasted the whole day. Today eleven portfolio committees of the National Assembly held meetings and six budget debates were held.

"When budget debates take place, it should be debated in the National Assembly and opposition parties should be given sufficient time to debate the departmental budgets. Ministers should have to hear in these debates what the objections and views of Parliamentary Members are and should implement them," Groenewald said.

Statement issued by Mr. Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus Parliamentary Leader, June 1 2011

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