If Finance Minister Trevor Manuel promised in his budget speech to tackle self-enrichment in the marketplace, why is he promoting it in the state, Constituency issues (February 23)?

There are two reasons why constituency allowances cannot work. One, constituencies themselves no longer exist. The demarcations remain, but their power to elect MPs died when the party list system replaced the Westminster system. Two, the MP is a weaker figure these days. Under the party list system, the cabinet has the real power because it picks most members in Parliament. MPs have become law takers, no longer law makers. All in all, MPs have no need to visit constituencies and no power when they do.

Allowances won’t undo the party list system, so meeting MPs will remain futile. Why should the public pay for work that is futile, even if it happens more often?

There is no good reason for constituency allowances, so what is the real reason for putting this money into MPs’ pockets? Patronage. The MPs the parties pick show their gratitude by handing the money in, or achieving the same result by relieving the party of local operational costs. And the MPs who want this new allowance most will be those struggling to pay back the Travelgate allowances they stole.

The allowances reflect a government taxing the public for work that will not happen to underwrite debts that should not exist.

Why pay taxes that the state will waste?

Government should point no fingers at the private sector until its house is in order.