You Do Not Care What Indignity Tamils Suffer Because You Do Not Consider Them Your Own – Sumanthiran

02/11/2014 -[HON. M. A. SUMANTHIRAN – SPEECH ON SECOND READING OF BUDGET DEBATE 28TH OCTOBER 2014]
Thank you, Hon. Presiding Member, for the opportunity given to speak at the Second Reading of the Budget this year. As I have done in all of the Second Reading Debates since 2010 including the Vote on Account of that year, I wish to commence with a particular Observation. This year I have support for that observation from a Frontbencher from the Government ranks, the Hon. (Ven.) Athuraliye Rathana Thero. Just after the Budget Speech by the Hon. Minister of Finance, the Venerable Thero was asked by the press about his comments on the Budget Proposals and his response was, “We hope next year the Budget will be presented by a Member of the House”. Now, this is something that I have said for four years; that if Parliament is to exercise total control over public finance as mandated by Article 148 of the Constitution – the Hon. (Ven.) Athuraliye Rathana Thero was also pleased to mention that Article in his comment – then, it is necessary that the Minister of Finance is a Member of this House. We have the sad spectacle yet again this year of the Debate continuing without the Minister who proposed it being in the House as a Member of this House accountable and responsible to respond to several vital comments that are being made. I too wish, like the Government Frontbencher, that this will be remedied at least by next year.
You Do Not Care What Indignity Tamils Suffer Because You Do Not Consider Them Your Own – Sumanthiran by Thavam