Debate on Floor Crossing
2006-01-05. Honourable Speaker, not a day has gone by in which the newspapers have not been filled with letters from members of the public expressing their total disgust with floor-crossing. The public out there does not want this legislation and this is borne out by scientific polls that show that the majority of South Africans disagree with floor crossing.
As a young MP I have been enormously
dismayed by the circus that this window period has brought into
parliament. I have had to endure incessant phone calls from Hon. Gibson
who has attempted to tell me the woes of my party and how effective I
could be in his party. I said it then and I will say it now, you will
have to be a much better politician than I think you are to ever
convince me that we could share the same ideological beliefs Honourable
Gibson. I must say that the one good thing about this window period is
that Hon. Leon actually greets me these days.
What floor crossing does is that it allows frustrations to build over the last year and a half and for MPs to suddenly take it upon themselves to leave their party without trying to resolve the issues that they might have had with the leadership and organization. I have been appalled at the manner in which some MPs have been able to simply cross the floor on the 1st September and then write a letter to their previous leader explaining their reasons. The Independent Democrats decide to approach this period in a different manner. We believed that it would be better to convene a meeting where any frustrations or grievances that members might have could be discussed and the possibility for common ground to be found. This does not take away a members right to then decide to cross, but at least it goes some way in dispelling the mistrust and suspicion that this awful period instills in parties, particularly smaller ones such as ourselves.
I will not judge any MP on their decision, because it is up to that MP to justify it to their leaders, voters and most importantly of all their members. It is not just a betrayal of the voters but it is even more importantly a betrayal of those members who you have sweated blood with to advance the cause of your party. This is not just a personal decision as a public representative you have a responsibility to not only act in your own interest but in the interest of a vast number of people who look to you for leadership.
This legislation is also inherently unfair. The ANC can sit there confidently knowing that it will take 29 of their members to cross if they are to lose any. We have also seen the spectacle of the DA now suddenly condemming floor-crossing when it was passed with their support to facilitate their divorce with the NNP. Let us all be honest, this legislation has brought out the worst in all of us as we have all been forced to play by the rules of a terrible game. It has denigrated parliament, our democracy and the reputation of MPs. We have all in some way benefited or have been disadvantaged by this legislation, but the time has now come to draw a line through it and for us to set about restoring the trust that voters have lost.
What floor crossing does is that it allows frustrations to build over the last year and a half and for MPs to suddenly take it upon themselves to leave their party without trying to resolve the issues that they might have had with the leadership and organization. I have been appalled at the manner in which some MPs have been able to simply cross the floor on the 1st September and then write a letter to their previous leader explaining their reasons. The Independent Democrats decide to approach this period in a different manner. We believed that it would be better to convene a meeting where any frustrations or grievances that members might have could be discussed and the possibility for common ground to be found. This does not take away a members right to then decide to cross, but at least it goes some way in dispelling the mistrust and suspicion that this awful period instills in parties, particularly smaller ones such as ourselves.
I will not judge any MP on their decision, because it is up to that MP to justify it to their leaders, voters and most importantly of all their members. It is not just a betrayal of the voters but it is even more importantly a betrayal of those members who you have sweated blood with to advance the cause of your party. This is not just a personal decision as a public representative you have a responsibility to not only act in your own interest but in the interest of a vast number of people who look to you for leadership.
This legislation is also inherently unfair. The ANC can sit there confidently knowing that it will take 29 of their members to cross if they are to lose any. We have also seen the spectacle of the DA now suddenly condemming floor-crossing when it was passed with their support to facilitate their divorce with the NNP. Let us all be honest, this legislation has brought out the worst in all of us as we have all been forced to play by the rules of a terrible game. It has denigrated parliament, our democracy and the reputation of MPs. We have all in some way benefited or have been disadvantaged by this legislation, but the time has now come to draw a line through it and for us to set about restoring the trust that voters have lost.
