Acknowledgement to the Chair

The Leader of the House (Dr Ng Eng Hen): Mr Speaker, before I move for Parliament to adjourn, let me use this occasion on behalf of all Members in this House to thank you and your Deputies for chairing the Budget debate and Committee of Supply. There were many significant firsts in this year's proceedings.

It was the first Budget and COS of the Twelfth Parliament after the 2011 GE. And for new members, their birthing encounter with the legislative process. We have 37 new Members – 26 newly elected, three new NCMPs, eight new NMPs. For the NMPs, they were literally thrown into the deep end because they were sworn in only three days before Budget Day on 17 February 2012. I think they did not drown. They are still swimming well.

Another significant first, the largest Parliament since Independence, we have 98 Members compared to 94 Members last year. As a result, we had more speakers during the Budget debate and more cuts filed for the Committee of Supply (COS). Four hundred and fifty-three cuts were filed, compared to 411 last year, 405 the year before and 374 in 2009. We therefore had to sit longer compared to previous years – same number of days – six-and-a-half days for COS but with an additional hour-and-a-half at eight-and-a-half hours daily.

The Budget debate and COS sessions witnessed articulate and passionate arguments and advocacy, and a healthy dose of verbal sparring. The issues discussed spanned all Ministries and affected all aspects of the lives of our people. There were practical questions: who have we left out? How can we serve better? How can programmes be improved? And philosophical questions: what kind of Singapore do we want? With issues relating to social capital, maids' day off, help for the less fortunate and the disabled, and promoting and preserving our arts, culture and heritage and so on and so forth. Whether practical or philosophical, the main theme of an inclusive society featured large in this Budget and COS.

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We were united in the aim to get as many Singaporeans on board the ship of progress but as our debate wore on, we realised that inclusiveness must first mean building a robust and sea-worthy vessel, with strong engines of growth, lest we imperil all on board if we either overload it or if it capsizes in rough weather.

Members of Parliament pointed out that, indeed, this is now happening to the EU countries, UK and USA who are struggling with huge debts. Members rightly observed too that Singapore was, indeed, fortunate in comparison. Both Ministers and Members of Parliament reminded us that this virtuous state was because we have always sought to spend within our means. Long may we keep this state of affairs!

This House too debated inherent trade-offs, reflecting maturity and intellectual honesty. Two examples come to mind. One was on the impact of reducing our dependence on foreign workers and its effects on wages and cost of living and competitiveness. Second, as we include more into the social nets, the rising cost of coverage.

In the end, the Budget was supported and the Supply Bills approved. But of course, this is the beginning and not the end. The real work for this fiscal year begins for Government and us as Members to ensure that the full benefits of these programmes reach out to our residents. All in all, we had good sessions and outcomes. Where could we do better?

The importance of improving productivity was a recurrent theme and, I think, one that applies to this House too. For both front and back benches, let us aspire: Speak less, Impact more. Focus more on substantive issues, debate core policies rather than numerous cuts and agenda items for each Ministry.

Some Members were more effective than others, but let us all continue to strive to "upgrade our skills". I thank all Members for observing the decorum and dignity of this House. I also congratulate all first-term Members, who spoke cogently and acquitted themselves well as representatives of their voters. There was another significant first, but on a regrettable note. We entered into Budget debate with one less Member, who was expelled from his Party. This was again the first ever in our Parliamentary history. I think I speak on behalf of the House, with the wish that such occurrences should remain few and far between. This episode also reminds us each to uphold high standards of integrity and honesty for this office that we have been appointed and for all political parties to maintain high standards for their candidates.

Finally, I thank the Speaker, Deputies and staff of Parliament for their assistance. Thanks also to the Whip for his gentle reminders and mild lashings. Speaker, you and your Deputies presided over long and sometimes arduous sessions but always with a keen eye and steady, impartial hand that guided each session to a smooth and productive conclusion. When the guillotine fell, the execution was generally deserving and I could hear a faint applause.

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Easily forgotten here was another significant first. It was the Speaker's first Budget too. Sir, your sustained attentiveness during the session is an admirable quality. I have a confession to make. There were rare occasions when, for myself, my mind did wander during the very few speeches that were less than enthralling. I could only count one or two moments, at the most. But in the spirit of full transparency, my confession ought to go further. In one of those rare moments, I imagined you as a poster boy in an advertisement holding up an energy drink related to a specific, chromatic and bovine persuasion. If you want a clue, it is closer to the green blue spectrum. The drink is marketed for its effects for inducing wakefulness. I am contrite and I promise that I will dispel these images if they ever come into my mind again. Whatever your secret, this House is grateful and thank you for so ably presiding over the sessions. We look forward to your continued presence in that Chair.

Mr Speaker: I would like to thank the Leader of the House for his kind words and I assure him that I would not be posing with any energy drink, whether green, red or blue.

Hon Members, this speech marks the conclusion of the debate on the Budget Statement and COS for 2012. With your cooperation, we have managed to end the debate, I think in quite good time. Indeed, as the Leader has highlighted, it was the first Budget of the Twelfth Parliament and it set a positive tone. It maps out this Government's initiatives to prepare our country for the many challenges that lie ahead. These include the need to restructure our economy and to prepare for an ageing population. I am heartened that the Budget contains measures to strengthen our social support and inclusiveness for all Singaporeans and, especially, those that are less advantaged, from entrenching various rebates through GST Vouchers to enhancing the means by which our seniors can remain active, healthy and employed.

On the whole, the debate was lively and the speeches were thoughtful and of high calibre – and, indeed, that had kept me so attentive. The exchanges between the front and back benches were robust. More importantly, the exchanges reflected the level of seriousness and commitment with which Members regarded their obligation to scrutinise the many different facets of this year's Budget.

Most Members kept to their allotted time for their speeches, while a few pushed the boundaries, which may be forgiven in view of the gravity of the issues being debated. However, some of the clarifications expressed were not as productive as they could have been and could have been more succinct. At times, I felt that the clarifications of some Members were almost addendums to their speeches, rather than concise questions aimed at eliciting further and better particulars.

I was glad to see that several Members made use of the new direct VGA plug-in for their notebooks or iPads to display slides during their speeches. I felt that this enabled Members to illustrate their speeches with greater clarity, and it is also an environmentally friendly alternative to paper handouts. Should Members be minded to use video presentations, I would ask them to keep in mind that one of the primary purposes of their presence in this House is to advocate and articulate their views and those of their constituents. Hence, video presentations should be used judiciously and sparingly, lest they usurp this function.

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On that note, please allow me to thank the Leader of the House and the Whip, and their respective Deputies, for their guidance and assistance in ensuring a smooth Budget debate. I also thank my two very capable Deputy Speakers, Mr Charles Chong and Mr Seah Kian Peng, and the staff of this House for their efforts and commitment to their various duties. Finally, but most importantly, I thank hon Members for their participation and cooperation in this debate.