Speech by David Maynier MP, DA Shadow Minister of Finance, Decision on Votes and Schedules: National Treasury [Vote 7], Parliament, Cape Town, 18 May 2016

“We stand against wickedness”

The great economist John Maynard Keynes viewed National Treasuries as a “bulwark against overwhelming wickedness”.

The problem, of course, is that it is true: National Treasury does stand against “wickedness” and between “good” and “evil” in our country.

Now, the minister was the victim of a political hit on the weekend, with newspaper headlines screaming, “Pravin arrest shock”, which triggered an extraordinary statement from the minister appealing to:

“all South Africans to protect the National Treasury staff, who have diligently, honestly and skillfully served the national interest to the best of their ability.”

And so we must ask: who do National Treasury staff require protection from?

Well, the answer is clear: President Jacob Zuma and his proxy forces including the “sugar daddies” in Dubai; the peddlers of “Project Spider Web”; and wreckers inside the Cabinet.

And so we choose to support the National Treasury [Vote 7] in 2016/17.

Issued by the DA, 18 May 2016