Thank you, hon Premier. The good thing about Premier Mabuza is that he doesn't stay far from me. He has no way to dodge me! [Laughter.] That's the good thing about him! If I want to take a car on a Sunday morning and go to Nelspruit, I will find him. And he can do the same as well.
You see, the problem we have been having about the Rotating Deputy Chairs is this one ... It's actually a challenge; let me not call it a problem. We acknowledge that you have a lot of work also in the province. You are tasked with a lot of things you have to do, and it becomes very difficult at times to honour the work here also in this House.
I have asked a few Rotating Deputy Chairs, the outgoing ones, "please make yourself available for this House". We don't expect you here every day. As we have already said, if you get time, just make yourself available. We will appreciate it. We would like one day to see you sitting where I am, chairing this House. It would be a nice thing. You are holding a very important position, as a leader of special delegates. That is very important. It is a constitutional title that is very important. When we debate policy issues, we would want to see you leading those policy discussions in the NCOP. There are many, many things that we can do together to really get this House going. I am sure we will have some time, you and I, where we will sit down and ponder about a lot of things that we can do for the National Council of Provinces.
You have already mentioned co-operative government, which is the most important one. The Speaker will tell you how many times I have repeated in the past the importance and the relevance of working together, this House and the provinces. I am referring to Speaker Mthembu. He knows that. He attended a lot of our workshops in the National Council of Provinces. Because if we cannot work together as provinces and this House ... Constitutionally, you will remember our mandate is to take the interests of the provinces to heart and debate them here. This is the House where you should raise them: Local government issues, national issues and provincial issues. You should raise them here, not in another House. Some of the people prefer to run to the other House, where these things are not raised. This is where you raise them, and this is where we can attend to them quickly.
Former Speaker Mchunu would know how many letters he wrote to me really trying to assist this House, to get us into the meeting and all these things, and calling all Speakers of the provinces to debate all these issues. What I am trying to say is: Premier, you are going to play a very important role with regard to intergovernmental relations. Together with you, we are going to look at the question of the division of revenue, for example. How are the provinces utilising the division of revenue in the provinces? It is one money Bill that we have a very great interest in as the National Council of Provinces.
One day, if you have time, I will invite you to attend our Rules Committee. That is where we take important decisions. I will meet you from time to time at the Presidential Co-ordinating Council, where I will also raise quite a number of things. But I will brief you before, because I have to lobby you for your help. As you know, we are only 54 in this House. We want this House to be bigger than what it is. We want to increase the numbers. We will discuss all these things with you. But thank you, Premier, for considering taking this position. I was merely mentioning a few issues that will be facing you, and from time to time we will be discussing them, either in a meeting or even telephonically, or we will SMS each other. That is one way of communicating. I wish to thank you very much. [Applause.]