Nelson McCausland - "an abuse of power"

ziggysego · March 25, 2011, 07:43:27 PM

How has this clown lasted as long?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12845245

The culture minister has defended asking the organisers of the Belfast Festival at Queen's to include pro-Israeli views and Christian music.

Nelson McCausland's demands were made in an e-mail to the director of the Belfast Festival, which was obtained through a freedom of information request.

Mr McCausland said he would like "some southern gospel music" included.

He also wanted "a view sympathetic to Israel in any relevant talk or debate".

Mr McCausland, who became the culture minister in June 2009, attended a dinner with the vice chancellor of Queen's to discuss this year's festival programme.

He and some of his officials also held a meeting with staff from Queen's, including the festival director Graeme Farrow, in March 2010 to discuss the content of the festival.

The e-mail was part of an exchange between the director of the Belfast Festival at Queen's, Graeme Farrow, and the permanent secretary at DCAL.

In an e-mail seen by the BBC Mr Farrow mentioned that he was preparing a paper for the minister's attention.

E-mail
The permanent secretary replied that the minister expected the paper to "propose an audit over, say, the last five or six years of the range of views represented in political talks and debates in the festival and of the range of traditional music in relevant cultural events".

The e-mail lists two specific things which the minister wanted to see included in the festival.

Continue reading the main story
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Start Quote

If we are to build a shared and better future in NI, then it must be based on balance, fairness and inclusion"

Nelson McCausland
Culture Minister
It said the minister would like to see "a view sympathetic to Israel in any relevant talk or debate" included in the festival programme and "some southern gospel music, which is immensely popular".

Mr McCausland defended his intervention.

Shared future
"What I was saying to the festival, and I have said it to other arts organisations and sectors, is that if we are to build a shared and better future in NI, then it must be based on balance, fairness and inclusion," he said.

"You can't have a shared future based on discrimination and exclusion and simply, I was saying to them, make sure that your programmes, over a period of time, reflect balance, fairness and inclusion."

The culture minister said he had asked the festival to include pro-Israeli views as a previous Israeli speaker had had his invitation withdrawn at the last minute by the festival.

"How can you have a situation like that? It's bad for the image of Northern Ireland," he said.

Mr McCausland said he had asked the festival to include Christian music after attending a southern gospel event.

Logic and argument
"Here is a popular musical genre that would attract a considerable audience, I would hope that over a period of time, you would include that sort of music, because one of the things we're saying to the festival and others is, you must generate as much income as possible.

"There was a logic and argument behind what I was saying."

The Belfast Festival is supported by a number of funders. Its major sponsor is the Ulster Bank which announced a three-year sponsorship deal of £1m in 2008.

It has also received £300,000 in funding from DCAL over the past three years, and it will receive £100,000 from the Arts Council through its annual funding stream in 2011.

muppet · March 25, 2011, 07:47:50 PM

Quote from: ziggysego on March 25, 2011, 07:43:27 PM
How has this clown lasted as long?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12845245

The culture minister has defended asking the organisers of the Belfast Festival at Queen's to include pro-Israeli views and Christian music.

Nelson McCausland's demands were made in an e-mail to the director of the Belfast Festival, which was obtained through a freedom of information request.

Mr McCausland said he would like "some southern gospel music" included.

Would southern piebald music do him? He might enjoy it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljPFZrRD3J8

Tony Baloney · March 25, 2011, 08:48:35 PM

He's not wise.

Maguire01 · March 25, 2011, 08:53:57 PM

To be honest, McCausland's just a joke; a figure of derision with limited real influence.

DoireGael · March 26, 2011, 01:09:00 AM

'Goebbels' comes to mind.

randomtask · March 26, 2011, 01:12:56 AM

Quote from: DoireGael on March 26, 2011, 01:09:00 AM
'Goebbels' comes to mind.

but was goebbels not successful in some of the policies he implemented?

Milltown Row2 · March 26, 2011, 11:12:31 AM

Quote from: randomtask on March 26, 2011, 01:12:56 AM
Quote from: DoireGael on March 26, 2011, 01:09:00 AM
'Goebbels' comes to mind.

but was goebbels not successful in some of the policies he implemented?

Like??

lawnseed · March 26, 2011, 02:53:01 PM

i think hes brillant

i've no problem seeing him in my minds eye drinking tea and eating scons with the old ladies of the womens orange lodge and dreaming of the one party state of 50 years ago. hes an endangered species poor nelson, an embarrassment to young prod/loyalists, let him at it

Eamonnca1 · March 26, 2011, 05:53:36 PM

He's an incompetent, bitter little shit of a man. As unlikeable as politicians can get. He's one of these boys that proves that to get ahead in unionism, the only credential that count is how bitter you are. Competence has nothing to do with it.

Tony Baloney · March 26, 2011, 06:07:52 PM

Quote from: Eamonnca1 on March 26, 2011, 05:53:36 PM
He's an incompetent, bitter little shit of a man. As unlikeable as politicians can get. He's one of these boys that proves that to get ahead in unionism, the only credential that count is how bitter you are. Competence has nothing to do with it.

He only got that role through spite as Poots let himself down by having some small association with the GAA.

lawnseed · March 27, 2011, 10:08:59 AM

Quote from: Tony Baloney on March 26, 2011, 06:07:52 PM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on March 26, 2011, 05:53:36 PM
He's an incompetent, bitter little shit of a man. As unlikeable as politicians can get. He's one of these boys that proves that to get ahead in unionism, the only credential that count is how bitter you are. Competence has nothing to do with it.
He only got that role through spite as Poots let himself down by having some small association with the GAA.

at least pootsey had a pair

TacadoirArdMhacha · March 27, 2011, 12:00:29 PM

Not that I wish to be seen to be defending McCausland but is there really anything that outlandish about what he has said here?

ziggysego · March 27, 2011, 12:33:23 PM

Quote from: TacadoirArdMhacha on March 27, 2011, 12:00:29 PM
Not that I wish to be seen to be defending McCausland but is there really anything that outlandish about what he has said here?

Well considering it's Israel, yes.

Plus, he's always poking his nose in, in matters which go beyond his remit.

Tony Baloney · March 27, 2011, 12:38:13 PM

Quote from: TacadoirArdMhacha on March 27, 2011, 12:00:29 PM
Not that I wish to be seen to be defending McCausland but is there really anything that outlandish about what he has said here?

If his point is that these Arts types will all be very left of centre and support right-on causes like Gaza etc. and are not even-handed then he has a point. If his point is that he'd just like to see more nice stuff about Israel then he's being a tube. Still, don't stop us having our fun!

Maguire01 · March 27, 2011, 12:50:04 PM

Quote from: ziggysego on March 27, 2011, 12:33:23 PM
Quote from: TacadoirArdMhacha on March 27, 2011, 12:00:29 PM
Not that I wish to be seen to be defending McCausland but is there really anything that outlandish about what he has said here?

Well considering it's Israel, yes.

No, in that respect, he's right. He's not asking for pro-Israeli views in a vacuum, just as part of any relevant debate. And whilst you might not support the Isreali view, any debate that does not represent that side of the argument has limited value and any attempts to actively exclude pro-Israeli views from such debates could be seen as censorship.