26/09/2013 The View

Alund welcome to The View. -- and welcome.

On the programme tonight, Stormont struggles again but is it really in

crisis? Peter Robinson is to cool your jets while Martin McGuinness

says using problem-solving mode is what is going on in? We ask the five

main parties of power-sharing is working. He's the new boy on the

block but is Mark H Durkan just too nice for Northern Ireland politics?

I can be combative if necessary and I will be, when I think I need to be

combative to get something done that I believe is the right thing for the

people of Northern Ireland. Keeping calm in the midst of this so-called

crisis, our commentators. We will also get the inside track from our

man in Stormont. Coming up, the view on the Hill. I know what tweet of

the week is this week. You can join those already following the

programme on Twitter. Another week, another political row.

Things came to a head yesterday with Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly declaring

power-sharing is in crisis and that relations between part in Robinson

-- Peter Robinson Martin McGuinness are not working. The first Minister

Kitt back admitting that while there might be problems there is no

crisis. Just how bad are things? We will hear from the five executive

parties in a moment but let's have a reminder of how we got to where we

are. fix it? Yes, we can. Everybody

should call their jets at this stage. A reminder of some of the

events that led to this week stand-off. How worried should we be

that Stormont is in trouble? I'm joined by Sammy Wilson come Stephen

that Stormont is in trouble? I'm Farry, John O'Dowd, Danny Kennedy

and Alex Attwood. You are all very welcome to the programme, thanks for

joining us. John O'Dowd, is Gerry Kelly right when he says it is a

crisis? If you were to talk to members of the public who were

observing the political process, I think crisis is fair enough. When we

look at what has happened over the summer, politics has been dictated

by what is happening on the streets. That is a position of political

crisis. Sinn Fein has contributed to that, then. I think in terms of the

summer events, that has contributed to it. Government is not working as

it should. They are not delivering the programme of change necessary. I

use the example of when the DUP and Sinn Fein were working together, the

newly qualified teachers were delivering change to people 's

lives. I met one of those teachers today. They contributed a lot to

generations. But we're not delivering that programme of change

now. You are not helping the situation by hyping it up and saying

it's a crisis. If we ignore the fact that the public's view believes

there is a crisis, if we ignore what is happening on the streets, it is

ignoring it at our peril. There is a serious problem here, we need to

resolve it. There is a lack of confidence from government. We

ignore the situation at our peril, do you accept things are serious?

Let's just look at Stormont in operation. This week, we have seen

politics operate as normal. There have been regular meetings, back

from very successful tours in America, looking forward to another

successful tour and investment conference in Boston. Private

members legislation on important things such as human trafficking

going through, the second stage in the Assembly this week. We heard the

first Minister saying there is a big problem that needs to be solved. And

then we saw a humongous spat between your leader and the leader of the

DUP. You always get those kinds of things. Reactions in certain ways. I

think that he expects that when he behaves in certain ways, it's very

personal. That's just the way if you're behaving that way, you have

personal. That's just the way if to expect it. That is hardly

evidence of a crisis. For goodness sake. Look at any coalition

government. Within the last couple of weeks, we've had one of the

government. Within the last couple coalition partners in Westminster

calling his partner in government the nasty party. You've had the

Liberal Democrats welshing on agreements on boundary changes,

which was a week issue. There is a crisis at Westminster? Nobody says

that. There might be a crisis within Sinn Fein. And you've got to look at

some of the actions of Gerry Kelly recently, where, I think, he is

aware of the difficulties of having the dissonance. There have been

issues over the summer, but they are not insurmountable. And they haven't

created a political crisis at Stormont. So, not a political

crisis. Interestingly, Martin McGuinness tweeted a picture

yesterday of himself and Peter Robinson smiling as they met the new

US ambassador to London. If there is a crisis, what were they doing

meeting him, standing shoulder to shoulder looking like they were

having a good time? People find it hard to understand what's going on.

I can understand that but what they are trying to do despite the

difficulties, they are tried to hold it together, they are trying to

ensure that investment arrives here and that we are able to engage with

our international partners. When I say there is a lack of confidence in

government, I mean this - we have a serious confidence deficit between

ourselves and the DUP which needs to be resolved. We cannot operate that

way. If we look at the events over the summer, that has damaged our

confidence over the DUP. They have questions about our role, and we

have two explain that. Crisis or no crisis? It is interesting to listen

to Sammy and John. On the one hand, John says there is crisis. The true

problem is that the DUP and Sinn Fein are not measuring up to the

agreement, but they have gone down a series of a dead-end. That is where

the problem is. They are always going to be uncomfortable

bedfellows, aren't they? That is what happens in a mandatory

coalition! There's a difference between being uncomfortable

bedfellows and what we have seen over the last number of months in

the Schenkel Road, in Royal Avenue and so on and so forth. There's

going to be tensions, but the fundamental tension is that the DUP

and Sinn Fein don't know how to live up to the values of the Good Friday

Agreement and the potential is to reshape our politics, to take the

power away from the DUP and the Sinn Fein, to go back to the people and

recreate the hopes of 1998. Let's talk about that at the moment.

Stephen Farry, how do you view this? Your party by definition is

somewhere in the middle between these two parties. They are fronting

up the government, whether you like it or not, and not get -- getting on

up the government, whether you like at the moment. I don't think we have

up the government, whether you like a crisis in the sense there's a real

threat to the institution. But there a problem. A crisis in perception.

There has to be a wake-up call for us all. I hope all the ministers are

delivering. The difficulty is that this perception of constant spats,

the DUP and Sinn Fein playing to hard-line consistency is more than

there was the case in the past rather than working together is

overshadowing their achievements. There are good things happening but

they are being lost. Is it fixable? Of course. It involves a change in

attitude and maybe a change of people in office, and a change of

dynamics. Within the next two or three years, we can build a future.

dynamics. Within the next two or We can also even have corporation

tax to evolve. There are real prizes out there if we are prepared to come

together. Danny, there is no crisis but there are some competitive

posturing between Sinn Fein and the DUP. Is that all there is? I think

Mike Nesbitt is right. I think I'm Sinn Fein's part, there is almost a

manufactured crisis or an attempt to build one. I think the actions and

words of people like Gerry Kelly over recent months have been

appalling. I think the reactions of senior Republicans, they should be

ashamed of themselves. Castlederg is a prime example. And to tweak a

celebration of the escape from the Maze in which eight prison officers

lost their life but Bob what are you surprised? He's a republican. He

took part in it. He was treating to his followers. He wasn't tweeting to

you. He is the senior politician. People, when they look to their

politicians at Stormont, need to get a bit of leadership and

statesmanship. Equally, we had the unedifying spectacle of what the

First Minister said. Nobody 's been impressed by that. Mr Robinson owes

Mr McAllister an apology and it should come as quickly as possible.

They do means the office which he holds. -- they demean the office

which he holds. It is for Sammy Wilson to say whether he had been in

Mr Robinson 's position, would he have used the same terms and would

he have said the same things? Let's ask him. I don't suppose you're

about to launch a leadership approach. I have no ambition to be a

leader, I am a supporter of the leader. He has done well for

Northern Ireland and further DUP. Some people did rather wonder if you

are sitting on the fence. Jim plays rough, as I've said, in the Assembly

chamber. And he can't expect otherwise when people play rough

back with him. What he said was clear. He expects the

back with him. What he said was rough-and-tumble of politics. What

does he not expect is for his wife and family to be dragged into the

nitty-gritty of politics, completely inappropriate. If you listen to some

of the things that Jim Allister has said about members of my party,

that's got fairly possible. It was a spate in the Assembly, it is

rough-and-tumble. So, no apology? I don't think there will be. What I do

hope is that Jim will learn from it as well as everyone else. Look,

you're far better to stick to debates in the Assembly, keep on

issues of policy, and let's keep it on that level. Jim Allister, he

would say that he has never attacked other members families. Which is

what he took exception to because he regards that as what the First

Minister did to him. He touched a raw nerve when he started asking

difficult question about the Maze. There was no difficult question. It

was simple, as far as we are concerned. The peace and

reconciliation Centre, which did not have the support of the whole

community, which didn't have the support of people who would have

expected to have used it and to be presenting a case for peace and

reconciliation... He was a supporter. When it became clear that

because of the actions of Sinn Fein, there was no confidence amongst many

of the groups within the unionist community and, indeed, the actions

of Sinn Fein over the summer, calling into question whether or not

they were fully committed to it, you are never going to have it. It

became a source of controversy. It became laughable. Where does that

leave us as far as partnership leadership is concerned? Peter

Robinson took offence to it. That is the keyword partnership government.

We have to make sure we are in partnership. Despite our princes,

which can be huge, we are working in partnership. The summer may well

have been manufactured but it has been manifested by people on the

streets. I will come onto Castlederg in a moment. There are people who

streets. I will come onto Castlederg are opposed to partnership

government, who are opposed to are opposed to partnership

power-sharing and the peace process. Gerry Kelly did not have to go to

Castlederg and say what he said. Those on the streets that are

causing violence are leaning in a Unionist direction at the time,

which is a huge mistake in respect to Castlederg was up everyone that

they're safe. Nobody was injured, everybody who wish to march marched

and everyone who was to protest protest with. We as Republicans have

to reflect on it. We have to separate... Are you saying it is a

mistake? We have to separate the separate... Are you saying it is a

political attack on Sinn Fein from unionists around Castlederg, we

Zavvi separate the feelings -- we have to separate the feelings of the

families. The rehab to reflect on the feelings. What does that mean? I

think it means you have to think again because you got it wrong. I

think that is what it means. As Republicans, we recognise the fact

that many people were hurt by Republicans and we don't want to

re-traumatised anybody. We have to reflect on Castlederg. Is that a

re-traumatised anybody. We have to usual cod abuse into the

conversation? Is that movement? It is late but because of the exercise

that Sinn Fein engaged in, as shown by the words of Gerry Kelly. Is it a

welcome conurbation to the debate? John talks about partnership

government. He is taking apart the Dickson plan. There is nothing about

the partnership in that. The dismantling of school funding is

completely off what schools, both in the controlled and maintained

sectors are seeking. Where does partnership government stand when

Unionist leaders refused to condemn Loyalist violence over the summer

question Sinn Fein had been very exercised by that. All of the

violence has been condemned by the Ulster Unionist Party and other

Unionist leaders. Would you like to have seen other leaders standing

short to shoulder with the First Minister? Should Peter Robinson have

stood beside Martin McGuinness and condemned it question at would you

stood beside Martin McGuinness and like to have seen do it? Political

leader leadership means that you have to show leadership at times.

There are two big points. Where we are now has been coming for a very,

very long time. People need to recognise that. The problems are

multiple. It is flags, it is the past, it is parades, it is not

-South -- is North-South. If we are to turn those corners, Richard Haass

has to do with those. Those of the intractable problem is that we dealt

with five years ago, ten years ago. We may well enter 2014 with politics

with five years ago, ten years ago. in the state. Your party has studied

up. Your party has supported Sinn Fein when they named parks after

terrorists. Your party has called for the recent killers all people

terrorists. Your party has called who attended a kilt DUP ministers

will stop maybe you have to do something! A quick word from Alex on

that. We have to face up to the problem. Nationalism has now lost

confidence in DUP unionism and also in nationalism. We have to reshape

our politics. We are making things more difficult for edge other. How

do we make things easier? Good policy, as important as it is, is

not enough. We have to have underlying values. Over the summer,

we have had selective views. We have not had a common understanding where

people are repaired to riposte to condemn their own side when things

get out of hand. We don't want to go back to it. We don't have time and I

think we have covered it. It was a compromise which are big everyone

should have bought into. Thank you to everyone for joining us. That is

the view from Stormont. Let us join Deirdre Heenan and Rick Wilford.

Welcome to you both. Thank you for joining us. Let me ask you, as a

seasoned follower of Stormont and what happens there, how serious is

the situation that has developed this week, particularly after the

discussion we have just had? I don't think it is a crisis, it is a drama.

It is a drama that has had a whole series of episodes of which this is

the most recent. If you remember , there was a stand-off between

Robinson and beginners. The swagger and Martin McGuinness. If you

remember back in June, Peter Robinson was saying that Martin

McGuinness was vital to the success of a power-sharing government in

Northern Ireland. One of the big problems here is that if it is a

drama, who is writing the script? The key players have to be this good

writers here. It is not the people who were making culture, reach for

the flag or a paint gun. They should not be the people determining the

the flag or a paint gun. They should terms of the debate. Do you agree? I

agree it is not a crisis but the heat has been turned up, and the

relationship is have soured. Most people would say that Stormont is

dysfunctional and it needs to be addressed. I don't think direct rule

is around the corner but the tone and the tenor of debate at Stormont

is at an all-time low. People are switching off. What these to be

delivered to the executive will be the telling tale. John O'Dowd's

statements were conciliatory when he said we needed to reflect and also

stressed the need for partnership. This is a partnership mandatory

Coalition. Both the partners knew about the past, they knew what they

were getting into and both seem to be determined to look over their

shoulder. Sinn Fein are looking over their shoulder at the dissidents.

Others are looking over their shoulder at the loyalist. Both

should be looking to the future. It is a very uncivil partnership at the

moment. These are conjoined twins that need one another. They have to

make this work, they have the Avenue which is provided by the Richard

Haass talks. They need this good not to be dictated by bit players, spear

carriers. I was up there all day yesterday, and we saw a clip on the

news, they are working well in committees, they are working well

day-to-day. There is some positive light, it was a decision by city

council to close the City Hall during the Poppy appeal. That is

very conciliar tree, that is what we need to see. The point has been made

that straight politics should not be leading the agenda. William Blake

said that weird things happen when men and mountains meet. Weird things

did happen. We will hear more from you in a moment. First, a minister

who admitted to panicking before his first session. He believes that

honesty is the best policy, even at his unexpected. Is he too nice to

succeed? Mark H Durkan has packed a lot into

his 35 years will stop MLA, and a shotgun appointment. -- a a shock

appointment. It is a sign -- is it a shotgun appointment. -- a a shock

of party unsure of what they are going? Something or someone changed

of party unsure of what they are his mind. He went for youth instead.

It did come out of the blue. I got a call from the party leader. He said

to me that he had been considering offering me the post and he offered

it to me then. I took a couple of offering me the post and he offered

days to decide to accept it. It is a huge challenge, but also a huge

opportunity. I did not think it was something I could say no to.

Challenge 11, driving through the review of the big administration

which will see the formation of 11 super councils. Today, the first

meeting of the chairs of transition committees set up to oversee the

change. This is my first meeting as Minister and chair of the regional

transition committee. He is also the minister in charge of another

difficult area, planning. Conditioners or is a bad thing and

difficult area, planning. there is also the new council

clusters tried to progress their plans as quickly as possible. I have

all taken an interest in planning and arguing something on behalf of

an applicant or an object. Now I find myself as the man in the middle

and having to make the judgement and it is not as easy! It is around the

executive table that he might find his greatest challenge. On the way

to his first executive meeting, he admits to doubts about his readiness

for the role. I am not overly daunted about today, being sat

around the table with other ministers. They have all been where

I will be today, so I'm sure there will be a degree of understanding

and maybe even compassion. However, will be a degree of understanding

the prospect of question Time next Monday is a different prospect

altogether and I am pretty nervous about it because I have to do quite

altogether and I am pretty nervous a bit of swotting up between now and

takes Monday, I think, in order to be able to ready for it as best as I

can be. I thank the Minister... The member for that. Not a minister yet,

hopefully one day so I can ask a question that he can't answer! It is

around the topical questions, you don't know what will come up and

given the breadth of my portfolio, it could be anything. I seem to have

survived it relatively unscathed! His honesty is all most disarming.

Inside a party no-fault having factions, he is said to be liked by

almost everyone, which explains why he was appointed. Outside the SDLP,

there are sceptics to be won over. It has more to do with recent

manoeuvrings inside the party than it probably has to do with the

intrinsic merits of Mr Durkin. -- of Mark H Durkan. You would worry about

him in a situation like question Time, which lit up this week when Mr

Robinson went for Jim Allister. It is a different atmosphere, people

have to be fast on their feet and I don't think he is that. His style is

different from his predecessor, who said it should not be a sign of

weakness. I can be combative when necessary and I will be combative

when necessary, when I think I need to be combative to get something

done but I believe is the right thing for the people of Northern

Ireland. That was Gareth Gordon. It is ironic

that we have a new Environment Minister, very chuffed with his job,

while we are discussing the crisis at Stormont. He is charming and

affable and honest. I wish him well and I hope he gets the fertility to

prove himself. Let us talk about tweets. There was one enormous tweet

that got everybody's attention this week and it was Gerry Kelly's tweet

about breaking out of the Maze. It was extremely insensitive and a

new lead would be. We spoke to how students about effective use of

social media. Maybe he needs to come to how classes. He knew what the

reaction would be to that tweet. But who was the tweet in? He was

treating the faithful. -- if he sent it to the faithful. It was

unhelpful. It certainly got people talking. Thank you for a much

indeed. Enough from the professors were stopped let us hear from our

resident philosopher. There was some row are pay on Monday. Jimbo was

furious. He looked like a fellow who look like he got a tweet from Gerry

Kelly. Gerry Kelly's tweet proved what we all knew, Sinn Fein does not

want a shrine at the Maze. There was an argument about one of the biggest

tourist attractions. A new neural has a quote from Martin Luther King

tourist attractions. A new neural next to a man with a gun to stop we

are going to use Mahatma Gandhi come but we reckon they would you DA.

Another alternative view from the health of the bad is it from us for

now. Join us on Sunday at 11 40 5pm... 11:45pm. Goodbye.