Sunday, October 12, 2008
“It’s absolutely not acceptable..”
Slugger’s inaugural MLA of the Year, Alliance Party deputy leader Naomi Long, was on the Politics Show today giving her party’s view of the current Northern Ireland Executive deadlock, and whether the Executive has anything to say about the credit crunch, as the war of words escalates..
Pete Baker @ 01:45 PM
I have to agree with the sentiments of the likes of IWSMWDI and Greenflag.
The prescription required is what the two governments have already said is required.
Failure to provide leadership, which is actually easier than managing change or administration of government, is the key problem here at the moment.
It just doesn’t make sense because deadlock will continue then after having the physicians tell us the cause of the problems, the surgeons botch the operation, the consultants will have to come back once again, i.e. the two governments, and do the thing right.
This will be based on a wide reading of public and political opinion, perhaps tempered a little given the current priorities in getting more for less out of front line services, rather than getting all sentimental with peace process platitudes.
Yes it is an inspiration that the DUP and SF sit down together but in these times it is more inspirational to sit down and deliver some innovate thought that can help people out in economically tight situations.
But, as I was saying, it is beyond me as to why there are so many problems with leadership, and once again it will have to be the two governments that will have to step in unless progress is made soon. It might be a case of closing the chapter or closing the book.
But in the interim the MLAs shouldn’t be getting paid full whack for little to no achievements. The executive and OFMDFM are mere titles, the authority slipped away 4 months ago while MLA pay bizarrely remains the same for positions which aren’t really being fulfilled.
Posted by on Oct 13, 2008 @ 10:40 AMIWSMNWDI,
Jaw Jaw or War War
They are not the only choices sammy.
The sound of silence is much underrated coming from this lot ;)
There’s no going back and there’s no going forward .
As DC says it’s an absolute disgrace that these so called ‘politicians ‘ continue to get paid . If the people of NI had any spunk left they would be staging mass demonstrations outside the offices of the DUP and SF .
But in truth many just don’t care anymore . More are seeing this Assembly as just another ‘jobs for the boys ‘ gravy train . As long as these ‘wretches ‘are being ladled out their salary soup they have no incentive to move forward .
It’s the ‘blame game ‘ ad infinitum and when you examine in depth politics in NI you can’t realitically expect it to be anything else .
In a very real sense the problem is not solely the politicians -they are merely performing ‘rats ‘ locked into a tight fitting political strait jacket (D’Hondt & Assembly) inside the larger political cage/strait jacket of NI as it’s presently set up.
If I were resident of NI I would’nt be expecting a whole lot from this ‘lot’ or any possible replacement after any election either now or in 2011 .
The world moves on . NI can’t move on and in a political sense can’t move at all.
Posted by on Oct 13, 2008 @ 01:59 PMI have posted many times (as you mentioned) on the muddle that is the Alliance Party’s position on what it might/would/would not do in any proposed justice ministry.
The party doesn’t have a position, because it has not yet received a proposal.
But one thing is clear from the above statement by Ms Long is that they are supporting the DUP veto on the policing issue
Sorry, but the veto was negotiated and agreed by Sinn Fein, not the Alliance Party. And it’s a mutual veto, as is quite obvious by what’s going on.
- an issue that could well bring Stormo down - in spite of the fact that both governments have stated they want progress on this issue.<I>
The whole point of devolution is that the governments don’t get involved. It’s a waste of time to devolve things and then appeal to the governments to go over everyone’s heads.
<I> Surely there are some sensible people in the Alliance party who have some recollection of why the party was set up in the first place?
Yes there are, and whenever they receive a proposal for the devolution of policing and justice, I see no reason to believe why they won’t give it their full consideration. In the meantime, I can’t see how you can blame Alliance for not supporting a proposal that they haven’t seen yet. That’s a bit unfair.
Posted by on Oct 13, 2008 @ 08:11 PMshe is a little rough looking isn’t she any good lookers up there in Stormont?
Posted by on Oct 15, 2008 @ 10:32 PMsorry that was a wee bit sexist i mean looks arent everything are they...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm i think of iris and i want die
Posted by on Oct 15, 2008 @ 10:34 PMThat should read I want to die nor just die silly me
Posted by on Oct 15, 2008 @ 10:35 PM
