THE WEEK THAT WAS….
The saying goes that you ‘can’t see the wood for the trees’. This week’s Forestry Bill set a new adage – ‘you can’t see the Bill for the Amendments’.
Granted it’s been several decades since Northern Ireland legislated for its paltry tree cover (we’re one of the least forested regions of Europe), but one would have hoped that a non-contentious Bill wouldn’t have required such ‘root and branch’ reform. In total there were 32 amendments which kept the DARD Minister on her feet for several hours. This wasn’t whittling, it was a full frontal hatchet job.
This was the week for swinging the axe as the public finally realized that the gargantuan gap in the nation’s finances was in danger of turning into a Greek tragedy; not that anyone with Prime Ministerial ambitions was spelling out what the remedy would be.
David Cameron’s clumsy yet accurate highlighting of the fact that NI’s economy is more public-sector driven than some communist states sent everyone – bar the UUP Tories - scuttling for the high ground of moral indignation. The FM reckoned the Tory cuts would add 2,000 to the dole queues, the DETI Minister tagged his as ‘Chopper Cameron’, the aptly named Jonathan Bell (DUP, Strangford) put it down as a ‘Cameron Clanger’ and Peter Weir (DUP, North Down) was making cutting remarks about Freddie Krueger.
It was easy politics, but even those mathematically challenged ‘dogs in the street’ have sufficient grasp of macro-economics to realize that our deadweight reliance on the public sector is what feeds the stubbornly immovable gap in prosperity between NI and the other UK regions. It wasn’t a particularly sustainable strategy during Brown’s golden era when he single-handedly abolished ‘boom & bust’, but now that Brown and his boom are clearly a busted flush, change is ‘a coming’. And it’s going to hurt.
Thankfully next week’s Bank Holiday will spare us a day of banality in the Chamber and free MLAs to pound the streets. Give a thought though for the leafy suburbs of Surrey as you try to avoid the canvassers. Westminster’s balance of power could well rest in the uplands of North Antrim or Fermanagh’s bogs. At least we’ve had decades to attune to our local MPs foibles; it will come as something of a shock to the uninitiated.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Oral Answers
The FM took opportunity of a UUP question on public sector cuts to round on Conservative spending plans, paid tribute to the outgoing SIB CEO and bemoaned the lack of Westminster action over the Presbyterian Mutual Society. In his first outing the Justice Minister concurred with the Chief Constable that the current dissident Republican threat is severe and indicated that his priorities include a prison review and the reform of legal aid.
The DARD Minister discussed flooding in East Belfast, assistance for egg producers and funding for the farm modernization scheme.
Written Answers
Slow week for Questions, but DCAL outlined some of its plans to celebrate the Titanic’s centenary in 2012, Education noted that the pupil / teacher ratio in Irish language primary schools is just 16.3 (20.6 in the Integrated sector) while the DoE Minister revealed that he’s asked officials to look at how to boost recycling rates.
DFP confirmed that the population of Crumlin has risen by 20% in the past seven years, Health plans to introduce a ban on in-store tobacco advertising in December and Justice disclosed that 17 people are in jail for failing to pay fines and that 321 contraband phones have been confiscated in prison since 2005. DRD explained that it would be too expensive to provide a dedicated rail halt for Windsor Park.
COMMITTEES
Committee meetings were also in short supply but seed potato regulations were taking root again on DARD’s agenda, OFMDFM considered a draft Bill to appoint a Commissioner for Older People and Education was belatedly briefed on the 2010/11 Budget.
The DoE Minister briefed his Committee on Road Safety and plans to redeploy 300 planning officials, DCAL was still working out over its sports participation inquiry, the PAC is still pursuing Organised Crime and Justice was still getting its head round the various Non-Departmental Public Bodies which it is now responsible for.
AND FINALLY….
During this week’s debate on the Army Cadets it emerged that former member, Lord Browne (DUP, East Belfast) once spent a week peeling potatoes as a punishment for dispatching his unit’s baggage to Dundee instead of Lancashire.
Mind numbingly dull, but perfect training for all those endless hours on the Floor of the House and those even more tedious hours trapped in the DCAL Committee contemplating Eel Licence regulations. Who said politics was glamorous?
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