But is it acceptable for former government members to leave early purely because they have lost government? At the least, there should be recognition of the shirking of responsibility that this entails. There should also be some contribution towards the considerable costs of holding by-elections. Representing one’s constituency for the duration of the parliament is a duty that all elected members must carry out, but serving in the ministry is a privilege that very few are granted. If some members choose to leave parliament before their term is up simply because they have lost the political influence they once had, then their parties should be forced to take responsibility for their decisions.