Mr Speaker, thank you very much. I am adding my emotional comment to what has already been said by both Sides because of the painful exit of our dear brother.
Mr Speaker, I am sure every Tom, Dick and Harry here knows the kind of person we are talking about. He was a team player, a very respectful and respectable man. He had contributed immensely not only to our society at large, but also to his constituency. Of course, we say that of the dead, speak nothing but good, implying that there are people who have other issues that were bad, but because they are dead, one cannot talk about them. This man was exceptionally good and I am sure even those outside this Chamber and in this House broke down when they heard the bad news.
Mr Speaker, I want to use this opportunity to also tell the world that there are fundamental variables or factors as a House — Some of these incidents should send a caution to all of us about what we go through as Members of Parliament, that other external stakeholders, as a result of asymmetric information, might not have known.
Mr Speaker, we go through too much stress, especially men, with our primary responsibility to balance family live, political and other social needs. Apart from that, I think our society, this part of the world, on the globe, seems to have scripted functions and the real functions of Members of Parliament. And I think you, being one of our remarkable Speakers with this experience, know what I am talking about. I think we need to be intentional about this thing. Out there, in society, almost everyone puts pressure on us.
Even now, as Members of Parliament, if roofing sheets are not there, Member of Parliament; roads, Member of Parliament, flooding, Member of Parliament, everything, Member of Parliament. But in terms of resources to perform these unwarranted obligations, we do not have as Members of Parliament and it is having a very inimical effect on our internal organs: stress, depression and tasks that are beyond us. So, I think we should not heap scorn on what is happening, because it is one Member of Parliament or two from the other Side or here. We need to look at it in totality.
Mr Speaker, what causes the death of most of the Members of Parliament who have kicked the bucket in this House — stress-related, heart problems, check all of them. They deal with these and some of them say it is thrombosis. Most of them are stress-related.
So, Mr Speaker, I think we need to be very collective and sit down and redesign our functions and responsibilities here and come up with something, whether in the form of policy or convention or law — I am not a lawyer — to look at what a Member of Parliament is supposed to do and to educate the public for them to also understand our work. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I think my time is up.