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{
    "id": 412007,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/412007/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 207,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "The caucuses are at liberty to discuss anything and everything under the sun provided that they do so within the rules that govern such discussions and deliberations. So, let nobody feel that whatever they say out there will attract any reprimand except if it is said by way of breaching the rules of the House, for instance, going to discuss matters that are before a Committee of the House before it has tabled its report here. Obviously, that will attract reprimand. Other issues about feelings, how religious one may be, how tall, short, fat, thin and all those, Members are at liberty to express themselves, but it is also important to be factual. This House and, indeed, all parliaments decide through a vote. This is through acclamation although we now have electronic voting. Indeed, even walking out of the Chamber is a way of expressing yourself and even voting. The Speaker and the Chair has no vote. It does not bother me even when I see some quarters mistakenly thinking that the Speaker is bringing Bills. I am sure you are all my witnesses. The Speaker has not brought any Bill before this House and the Speaker will not bring any Bill or Motion to this House. All Bills will be brought by you, hon. Members and will be decided by yourselves. It is immaterial what the Speaker’s views about any particular Motion or Bill are. The Speaker will sit here. Whether he feels very strongly about a Bill, it will be passed or rejected notwithstanding his strong feelings. So, this is unnecessary and it will not happen to me. So, it is you. It is unnecessary really. It will not happen to me. It does not bother me that somebody is saying this or the other. Indeed, even when you talk about court orders in the streets or elsewhere and they are not in this Chamber, I will not bother because things out there in the streets and some other places are not here. Of course, you cannot gag people from saying what they want to say even though they say it in ignorance. They must say so and you must defend their right even to hold those very funny ideas because we live in a democracy. Hon. Members, I think we should not debate this matter."
}