Chairperson, hon members, Ministers present here, Cope acknowledges that departments have to contend with the fact that funding for health services and social development can never be sufficient to match the demand for quality health services and social support systems.
We accept that government's policies on social development and health care are well intentioned but misguided. For many years, tax revenue ran ahead of targets. This emboldened government to expand social grants. Now that the tax revenue has fallen, government has to fund expenditure from borrowings. When this is projected forward, it means that borrowings will have to be serviced; grants payments will have to be increased; and costs will exceed revenue by larger and larger margins.
There has been a public outcry that many women become pregnant purposely in order to access grants. [Interjections.] We said that the Minister should actually develop a strategy to look into this matter because it's a very serious matter.
Every weekend, people abuse alcohol and drugs, and many end up as casualties in hospital wards. Encouraging a healthy lifestyle has never been a key plan in the government's policy framework.
Cope believes that a strong and cohesive community will prevent many of the problems with which the taxpayer is burdened. A healthy community is less taxing on the health system. A socially cohesive society is less taxing on the social support system. By fixing communities, government gets to fix the cause and effects of a multitude of problems all at once.
The Department of Social Development has a constitutional obligation to respond more effectively to the material and social needs of the poor. This is highly commendable. However, ordinary people don't want to hear what the department's key priorities are. They want to see actual delivery. They want details in respect of the number of youth and ... [Time expired.] [Applause.]