A new oath for MP's?

Fast Facts, a publication from the South African Institute of Race Relations, suggests an oath that parliamentarians could take before they extract money from taxpayers:

"The weeks ahead will see Parliament debate the budget votes of various ministers and then enact an appropriation bill authorising the collection of taxes so that they have money to spend. If schoolchildren are to be expected to take an oath, perhaps members of Parliament (MPs) could set an example by doing the same.

The oath could go something like this:

‘We the representatives of the people hereby recognise that the money we are about to appropriate does not belong to us, neither has it been earned by us. It is instead the fruits of the labour of others, poor as well as rich. We honour all those who have worked to earn the money we are about to take away from them. We acknowledge that many of those from whom we will take money will struggle to make ends meet on what is left to them.

‘We pledge that the money thus received by us will be held by us in solemn trust. We promise that it will be used only in the public interest and in accordance with law. This promise embraces all money appropriated by us, including income tax, value added tax, customs and excise and import duties, fuel levies, estate duty, Seta levies, and all other taxes, duties, dues, and levies in whatsoever guise, shape, or form.

‘We further pledge that we will exercise proper oversight over all expenditure of the money so appropriated. We will require each and every minister, and every other organ of state, to account for all the funds allocated to them. We will scrutinise all accounts to ensure that funds are spent only for the purposes determined by Parliament, that they are spent timeously, and that budgetary allocations are not exceeded. We will ensure that all accounts are open for public inspection.

‘We solemnly swear to be especially vigilant against the unethical or dishonest use of moneys entrusted to our care. We will never abuse our privileged position for our own personal financial gain. Nor will we allow moneys appropriated by us to be diverted for party-political gain or for the personal enrichment of ministers or officials.’