Sinn Fein? They have gone away, you know.

[Maguire01]

The DUP and Sinn Fein's MLAs last night joined forces to back changes which would see new planning powers given to Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness' department.

The amendments to the Planning Bill – which would allow the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) to designate any area of Northern Ireland as an area where they would oversee relaxed planning regulations – were tabled at short notice on Thursday evening and debated yesterday.

Today another DUP-Sinn Fein amendment, which would restrict the circumstances in which planning decisions could be legally challenged, will be debated before the final chance to change the bill passes next Tuesday.

Prior to the late-night vote, Environment Minister Alex Attwood said it was "the most one-sided debate" about a law in the Assembly which he could ever remember with "relentlessly one-way traffic" and little response from the big parties, particularly from Sinn Fein's near-empty benches.
The SDLP minister read to MLAs legal advice which he said showed the proposed 'power grab' was illegal.

The haste with which the proposal materialised meant that many Sinn Fein and DUP MLAs appeared ropey on the detail of their own plan, but it passed by 60 votes to 32.

Mr Attwood praised the DUP's Simon Hamilton for "putting his head above the parapet" but the UUP's Tom Elliott said that the amendment's other proposer, Sinn Fein's Cathal Boylan, had seemed "unenthusiastic...he didn't even seem to be fully across this amendment".

After SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone said that it was a "fundamentally anti-democratic and anti-citizen" move, Sinn Fein MLA Phil Flanagan said: "It's hard to disagree with Patsy." Mr Flanagan complained that he had only two pages of information on which to make a decision about the merits of the plan but insisted that it would not lead to fracking in Fermanagh. He admitted that it could have been handled "a bit better".

At another point, DUP MLA Jim Wells – himself a qualified planner – said that he was not certain about aspects of the amendment.

DUP colleague Simon Hamilton defended the proposal and said it would benefit areas chosen for the relaxed planning rules. He added: "The reasons that OFMDFM would take a role in this is because of the cross-cutting nature of economically significant planning applications for our number one priority, which, I hope we all agree, is growing, rebalancing and rebuilding our economy."

Basil McCrea said it would "at a single stroke do away with the Department of the Environment", something the DUP's Lord Morrow said was wrong.

The SDLP's Dolores Kelly claimed it was "yet another power-grab by Peter and Martin" to enact a "developers' charter".

At one point, Speaker Willie Hay stopped Green Party leader Steven Agnew from referring to the DUP as the "Developers' Union Party". Mr Agnew said there was "already suspicion of corruption in the Planning Service" and said that as parties do not have to reveal their donors, developers could be funding parties who decide lucrative planning applications.

He said it would allow for "complete deregulation of planning at the whim of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister where they so decide". Amid a barrage of opposition to the proposal, TUV leader Jim Allister said that the Environment Minister had been "ambushed by an eight-page amendment" a few working hours before it came to the Assembly". He said that it was "the most audacious power-grab that this house has seen for some time...such a power grab that it would do any totalitarian regime proud".

And, rounding on his former party, Mr Allister said: "The developer donors to the DUP will be delighted and some are rubbing their hands with glee thinking that investments are going to make a good return."

Alliance's Anna Lo claimed the amendments were "cooked up by Sinn Fein and the DUP working closely together behind closed doors".

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/regional/ofmdfm-s-planning-power-grab-approved-1-5219241



Is that anyone's idea of good government? For anyone in the south deluded enough to think SF would shake up the system... this would indicate that they'd be right at home in government with Fianna Fail.

[Maguire01]

@SJAMcBride: DUP & SF join forces to vote through (54-33) Planning Bill amendment restricting individuals' right to legally challenge planning decisions

@markdevenport: MLAs vote 54 to 33 in favour of DUP/SF proposal potentially restricting right to judicial reviews on planning decisions


Not only will Peter and Martin make the decisions, but they'll be beyond challenge!

[Dougal Maguire]

Stoops are so stupid it's unreal. If they had any wit wee Alex would resign and they would go into opposition holding the moral high ground

[Nally Stand]

Stoops are so stupid it's unreal. If they had any wit wee Alex would resign and they would go into opposition holding the moral high ground

Whatever pretence they had of being on a moral high ground, they blew it completely to the wind last month with their support for Jim Allister and his legislation which contravened the GFA, and their assistance in copper fastening a hierarchy of victims.

"The innocent victims need to be addressed, in particular the innocent victims of the Provisional IRA" (Joe Byrne, SDLP MLA, June 2013)

That's right Joe. Victims of the state are of less importance than IRA victims. Nice to hear. 

[Maguire01]

Stoops are so stupid it's unreal. If they had any wit wee Alex would resign and they would go into opposition holding the moral high ground

Whatever pretence they had of being on a moral high ground, they blew it completely to the wind last month with their support for Jim Allister and his legislation which contravened the GFA, and their assistance in copper fastening a hierarchy of victims.

"The innocent victims need to be addressed, in particular the innocent victims of the Provisional IRA" (Joe Byrne, SDLP MLA, June 2013)

That's right Joe. Victims of the state are of less importance than IRA victims. Nice to hear. 

I'm sure if Joe Byrne was asked the question directly he'd clarify any misunderstanding. It seems like a clumsy use of words rather than anything more sinister.
In my mind, there absolutely is a hierarchy of victims, but that's determined by who the victim is, rather than the perpetrator.

But anyway, we've been over this several times on the other thread - how about some discussion on this planning issue? I appreciate it's probably a little more uncomfortable for you.

[Maguire01]

Stoops are so stupid it's unreal. If they had any wit wee Alex would resign and they would go into opposition holding the moral high ground

Absolutely they should pull out of the Executive.

[glens abu]

Stoops are so stupid it's unreal. If they had any wit wee Alex would resign and they would go into opposition holding the moral high ground

Absolutely they should pull out of the Executive.

Boo Hoo We are not winning so I am taking my ball and going home Too late they have fuked up too many times so they will be the side show for many years. 

[Applesisapples]

Stoops are so stupid it's unreal. If they had any wit wee Alex would resign and they would go into opposition holding the moral high ground

Whatever pretence they had of being on a moral high ground, they blew it completely to the wind last month with their support for Jim Allister and his legislation which contravened the GFA, and their assistance in copper fastening a hierarchy of victims.

"The innocent victims need to be addressed, in particular the innocent victims of the Provisional IRA" (Joe Byrne, SDLP MLA, June 2013)

That's right Joe. Victims of the state are of less importance than IRA victims. Nice to hear. 

I'm sure if Joe Byrne was asked the question directly he'd clarify any misunderstanding. It seems like a clumsy use of words rather than anything more sinister.
In my mind, there absolutely is a hierarchy of victims, but that's determined by who the victim is, rather than the perpetrator.

But anyway, we've been over this several times on the other thread - how about some discussion on this planning issue? I appreciate it's probably a little more uncomfortable for you.

You are wrong there, Joe's words only echo those of big Al. Anyway to the point we now have no credible Nationalist or Republican parties to vote for. The Stoops are just Stoopid, and the and what remains of the Shinners may as well join their former colleagues in FF, as the Developers Party.

[Rossfan]

what remains of the Shinners may as well join their former colleagues in FF, as the Developers Party.

But sure they're against all that sort of thing in the 26 

[Applesisapples]

what remains of the Shinners may as well join their former colleagues in FF, as the Developers Party.

But sure they're against all that sort of thing in the 26 

Wait to they are in government.

[Maguire01]

Stoops are so stupid it's unreal. If they had any wit wee Alex would resign and they would go into opposition holding the moral high ground

Whatever pretence they had of being on a moral high ground, they blew it completely to the wind last month with their support for Jim Allister and his legislation which contravened the GFA, and their assistance in copper fastening a hierarchy of victims.

"The innocent victims need to be addressed, in particular the innocent victims of the Provisional IRA" (Joe Byrne, SDLP MLA, June 2013)

That's right Joe. Victims of the state are of less importance than IRA victims. Nice to hear. 

I'm sure if Joe Byrne was asked the question directly he'd clarify any misunderstanding. It seems like a clumsy use of words rather than anything more sinister.
In my mind, there absolutely is a hierarchy of victims, but that's determined by who the victim is, rather than the perpetrator.

But anyway, we've been over this several times on the other thread - how about some discussion on this planning issue? I appreciate it's probably a little more uncomfortable for you.

You are wrong there, Joe's words only echo those of big Al. Anyway to the point we now have no credible Nationalist or Republican parties to vote for. The Stoops are just Stoopid, and the and what remains of the Shinners may as well join their former colleagues in FF, as the Developers Party.

No doubt you can provide the quote.

[Maguire01]

Stoops are so stupid it's unreal. If they had any wit wee Alex would resign and they would go into opposition holding the moral high ground

Absolutely they should pull out of the Executive.

Boo Hoo We are not winning so I am taking my ball and going home Too late they have fuked up too many times so they will be the side show for many years.

Would they not be leaving the ball for SF/DUP to play with?

Anyway, no comments on the amendments to the planning bill?

[Maguire01]

The DUP and Sinn Fein joined forces for the second night in a row last night to vote through controversial planning reforms which provoked allegations of "fascism" from rival MLAs.

Members of Stormont's two main parties had the numbers to comfortably see through a proposal which restricts the ability of individuals to legally challenge planning decisions.

Amendment 26 to the Planning Bill saw fierce criticism of the two lead parties in the Executive, a day after they voted through proposals to give Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness' department the power to relax planning regulations by creating special economic zones.

Yesterday's amendment – which emerged at short notice at the end of last week – faced a barrage of criticism from rival MLAs and only limited defence from the sparsely-occupied DUP and Sinn Fein benches.

And, whereas the DUP's Peter Weir spoke confidently and took several interventions from rival MLAs as he argued that it was necessary to curtail court challenges to speed the planning process, Sinn Fein's Cathal Boylan read large sections of his speech explaining the amendment and declined to take questions from other MLAs.

Mr Boylan denied the accusation, made during the previous day's debate, that his heart was not in what he was saying and that he was unenthusiastic about the proposals, saying that "nothing could be further from the truth". Mr Weir said that "the planning regime has, at times, been a disincentive" to investment.

NI21's Basil McCrea said that the proposals were "getting close to fascism and I don't say that lightly...it's tantamount to a fascist state in a totalitarian mode".

Reading a section of the amendment which said that some planning decisions "shall not be subject to appeal or liable to be questioned in any court", Mr McCrea said it was "a fundamental challenge to our democracy" and argued that any government decision should be open to challenge if it was unlawful. Green Party leader Steven Agnew said that "to err is to be human" and by restricting challenges to ministerial decisions, the two main parties were suggesting that ministers were infallible.

SDLP deputy leader Dolores Kelly said there had been a "power grab from local councils" on Monday night and yesterday there was "a power grab from citizens".

Alliance's Stewart Dickson said that he "heard the echo of the jackboot" in the amendment while TUV leader Jim Allister said that it was a "tyrannical" message from ministers to citizens saying: "How dare you challenge my decision?"

But DUP minister Edwin Poots said that "the judicial review process has been abused".

He argued that judicial reviews had "very often [been] a lawyers' charter paid for by legal aid" or else a forum for rival developers attempting to block each other.

But Mr Allister said that removing challenge to decisions was "an invitation to bad and corruptible decisions" as there was "no court looking over your shoulder". And he said that some DUP and Sinn Fein MLAs would vote for the amendments having not even read them and even if they did, some "would probably not even understand them"

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/regional/restrictions-on-some-court-challenges-fascist-say-mlas-1-5223286


Yet more examples of how to govern...

[Applesisapples]

Stoops are so stupid it's unreal. If they had any wit wee Alex would resign and they would go into opposition holding the moral high ground

Whatever pretence they had of being on a moral high ground, they blew it completely to the wind last month with their support for Jim Allister and his legislation which contravened the GFA, and their assistance in copper fastening a hierarchy of victims.

"The innocent victims need to be addressed, in particular the innocent victims of the Provisional IRA" (Joe Byrne, SDLP MLA, June 2013)

That's right Joe. Victims of the state are of less importance than IRA victims. Nice to hear. 

I'm sure if Joe Byrne was asked the question directly he'd clarify any misunderstanding. It seems like a clumsy use of words rather than anything more sinister.
In my mind, there absolutely is a hierarchy of victims, but that's determined by who the victim is, rather than the perpetrator.

But anyway, we've been over this several times on the other thread - how about some discussion on this planning issue? I appreciate it's probably a little more uncomfortable for you.

You are wrong there, Joe's words only echo those of big Al. Anyway to the point we now have no credible Nationalist or Republican parties to vote for. The Stoops are just Stoopid, and the and what remains of the Shinners may as well join their former colleagues in FF, as the Developers Party.

No doubt you can provide the quote.

Stephen Nolan played Al over and over as he stated that there were different levels of victimhood, well rehearsed on another thread.

[give her dixie]

George Orwell could have put the last sentence in Animal Farm to what is going on up in Stormont today with the DUP and SF:

"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."