:00:08. > :00:10.The five main political party leaders have clashed over
:00:11. > :00:13.the renewable heat incentive scheme in their last big debate before
:00:14. > :00:20.It was the first issue raised by a member of the studio audience,
:00:21. > :00:23.who also posed questions about cross community voting transfers,
:00:24. > :00:28.Brexit and whether direct rule was inevitable after the election.
:00:29. > :00:36.Our political correspondent, Gareth Gordon, watched the debate.
:00:37. > :00:44.Five litres, two days to go and a final opportunity to persuade voters
:00:45. > :00:49.and soon we sought the deep decisions over the issue which
:00:50. > :00:53.caused this election, RHI. People are angry about the contempt for the
:00:54. > :00:57.public and the fact the DUP cannot recognise that they did something
:00:58. > :01:05.wrong. Arrogance, disrespect and contempt? I have to do with
:01:06. > :01:11.allegations of corruption. There have been plenty of allegations,
:01:12. > :01:15.nothing more. There is no evidence. Here is the reality, would it not
:01:16. > :01:19.have been more intelligent, would not have been better to have fired
:01:20. > :01:22.the public enquiry first and then had the election? Then we would have
:01:23. > :01:28.had the full facts for everyone to make a judgment. Instead, what we
:01:29. > :01:37.have had is political menu frame by Sinn Fein and what about a wee bit
:01:38. > :01:44.of respect, Michelle? What about respect for the public? The alliance
:01:45. > :01:50.leader joined the attacks on Arlene Foster. At the last election we had
:01:51. > :01:54.a strong leader for unionism but that seemed strong leader presented
:01:55. > :02:00.the chaos within this scheme, presented the chaos in terms of how
:02:01. > :02:08.it was handled and didn't the... This is chaos with hindsight. It is
:02:09. > :02:16.chaos here and now. Then there was the question of the UUP later
:02:17. > :02:19.transferring his vote to the SDLP. People voted for you last time and
:02:20. > :02:25.they got Martin McGuinness and keep letter. Mike Nesbitt said he had no
:02:26. > :02:32.regrets. The still be leader said he had been brave. Arlene's Unionism is
:02:33. > :02:36.so strong and so secure she is putting up with that with a darkened
:02:37. > :02:39.picture of Gerry Adams in it. She talks about Gerry Adams more than
:02:40. > :02:44.anything else. These scare tactics or what people are so fed up with. I
:02:45. > :02:54.haven't mentioned Gerry Adams tonight. You mentioned him 32 times,
:02:55. > :02:59.12 times and Sinn Fein 32 times in your manifesto launch. I haven't
:03:00. > :03:05.mentioned here tonight but thank you for doing that for me. The Sinn Fein
:03:06. > :03:12.leader was asked who she would recommend her voters to transfer to.
:03:13. > :03:17.I would say food for Progressive parties. My values of a new and
:03:18. > :03:22.agreed Ireland, my values of anti-corruption and my values of
:03:23. > :03:28.respect in government. I want to come back. What do you have to fear
:03:29. > :03:35.from Sinn Fein? They want to implement radical Republican agenda.
:03:36. > :03:40.Nothing to fear in a united Ireland. At what of them at my positive plan
:03:41. > :03:44.for Northern Ireland. This was an opportunity for the party leaders to
:03:45. > :03:45.engage at the end of what we were told was a brutal campaign. Soon it
:03:46. > :03:48.is over to the voters. Also watching the debate
:03:49. > :03:49.were Jim Allister leader of the TUV, Fiona Ferguson
:03:50. > :03:52.from People Before Profit and Steven Agnew leader
:03:53. > :04:06.of the Green Party. We have seen those parties which the
:04:07. > :04:10.opportunity. They have twisted ten years in government them and they
:04:11. > :04:17.have wasted the opportunity to stabilise politics. We were the
:04:18. > :04:23.first party to raise the problems with RHI, we are the only party to
:04:24. > :04:27.propose a workable solution. Transparency, we are the only party
:04:28. > :04:31.publishing divisions over ?500 and equal marriage, we were at the party
:04:32. > :04:34.to bring that forward and we have brought other parties with as to the
:04:35. > :04:38.point where we are working on legislation together. It is a shame
:04:39. > :04:43.that we were not on the debate to make those points. Jim Allister,
:04:44. > :04:49.many would say the questions were predictable, or the answers
:04:50. > :04:54.breakable? Yes and the audience saga is no prospect of those five parties
:04:55. > :04:58.providing durable, workable, good government. Just as they have failed
:04:59. > :05:02.for the last ten years. They will fail again. There is a fundamental
:05:03. > :05:07.reason why this system of government is failing and it is this. Sinn Fein
:05:08. > :05:10.is not in Stormont to make Northern Ireland work. Any system that
:05:11. > :05:15.insists on putting them in the heart of government will never work.
:05:16. > :05:19.Unless we fix that we cannot fix Stormont. Then what is the point in
:05:20. > :05:23.having it? What we saw tonight is that if you vote for these five main
:05:24. > :05:29.parties, you get more of the same. The very thing that isn't working.
:05:30. > :05:36.Fiona Ferguson, is it same old same old? I think so. This reaffirmed the
:05:37. > :05:41.need for a radical alternative. That needs to be a radical socialist
:05:42. > :05:45.alternative. Whatever it is, what we sought is that all five of the
:05:46. > :05:48.leaders were able to be implicated in our future and all they could do
:05:49. > :05:53.was finger point and blink. None pointed to the fact that it is the
:05:54. > :05:57.system that is to blame because it sets up crisis after crisis. People
:05:58. > :06:00.on the doorsteps in the public are not stupid. They will not be duped
:06:01. > :06:05.and they understand which parties have been propping this system up
:06:06. > :06:09.for the past ten years. What was crystal clear is where their
:06:10. > :06:13.priorities lie. Not once did we hear about the crippling austerity that
:06:14. > :06:16.is bringing communities to their knees. We didn't hear about any sort
:06:17. > :06:21.of solution for the housing crisis for the health care crisis facing
:06:22. > :06:27.most people. A radical alternative Jim Allister. That could be cross
:06:28. > :06:33.community food transfer. For the record, where will your choices go
:06:34. > :06:38.on the ballot paper? Mike Nesbitt has lost his way on this. Many of
:06:39. > :06:42.his supporters are dismayed. I am a unionist. Unapologetically. I would
:06:43. > :06:46.urge my supporters to vote for as a Unionist candidates before they even
:06:47. > :06:56.think of voting for and a other party? Including the DUP? Yes, I
:06:57. > :07:00.want a unionist majority in Stormont and therefore I want people to use
:07:01. > :07:06.their transfers. I urge them to recognise that in voting for the TUV
:07:07. > :07:13.Ukip unrelenting, unflinching opposition to Sinn Fein, but just at
:07:14. > :07:17.election time. If you vote for the Ulster Unionists first you denigrate
:07:18. > :07:21.the SDLP and if you could put DUP you get their partner, Sinn Fein, as
:07:22. > :07:26.joint First Minister and tonight we again have shadows the
:07:27. > :07:32.scaremongering. Arlene Foster must think people, she can take them for
:07:33. > :07:36.films. If the DUP, the party which brought Sinn Fein into government,
:07:37. > :07:40.who sat as joint First Minister with them for ten years, if she thinks
:07:41. > :07:44.she can convince them that putting DUP. Sinn Fein, they are the people
:07:45. > :07:49.who have made Sinn Fein the heart of government, the system that isn't
:07:50. > :07:54.working. If you are anti-Sinn Fein, it is TUV you should be voting. Many
:07:55. > :07:58.people see the Green party as a party for change when it comes to
:07:59. > :08:03.transfers. How should you supporters follow your lead in the constituency
:08:04. > :08:07.that you are standing in? It was almost 20 years ago that David
:08:08. > :08:11.Trimble shook the hand of John Hume and we thought we were going to get
:08:12. > :08:16.cross community politics. 20 years on and somehow this idea that should
:08:17. > :08:19.transfer cross community is progress, we haven't moved in 20
:08:20. > :08:24.years if we still have the politics through the prism of nationalism and
:08:25. > :08:27.Unionism. If people want cross committee politics they need to vote
:08:28. > :08:30.for cross community parties such as the Green party. That is the only
:08:31. > :08:37.way we will move forward. It is about somehow Mike takes the person
:08:38. > :08:40.vote and column takes the Catholic vote, it is about thinking about
:08:41. > :08:46.Northern Ireland as to communities and the Geert de Vos as one of the
:08:47. > :08:50.first society. Our reporters have discovered apathy and anger on the
:08:51. > :08:55.doorsteps. What have you found? Is your party, when people vote for
:08:56. > :09:00.you, is it about policies or are you a party of protest? What we have
:09:01. > :09:04.proved in the last election by topping the poll in west Belfast is
:09:05. > :09:11.we are not just a party of protest. People want to see an alternative
:09:12. > :09:15.society and that will be reaffirmed this election. When you see your
:09:16. > :09:18.reporters have found anger, I have never experienced that. When we have
:09:19. > :09:23.been canvassing North Belfast we have got people who have voted for
:09:24. > :09:26.the same parties for ten years and would do it again and I am glad to
:09:27. > :09:32.see people what change and I think the big parties will take a kicking.
:09:33. > :09:35.He asked the two people... If you are looking for change, where are
:09:36. > :09:41.you putting your transfers on the ballot paper? I will vote as left as
:09:42. > :09:44.possible. I am yet to make up my mind on which party I will vote for,
:09:45. > :09:49.but Ford as progressive as possible when that comes to a woman's right
:09:50. > :09:52.to choose, on equal marriage, when it comes to things like an Irish
:09:53. > :10:00.language act. Food for people who will make those red line issues. The
:10:01. > :10:04.electoral office is reporting a drop of 2.14% in the number of people
:10:05. > :10:12.registered to vote this time around. How can you convince voters to vote
:10:13. > :10:16.at all, if not for your party? There are two issues there. There is the
:10:17. > :10:19.difficulty of registering to vote in Northern Ireland. It is
:10:20. > :10:24.unnecessarily complex and every year there are problems with registration
:10:25. > :10:28.for many in my constituency. The other thing is, those who are
:10:29. > :10:32.registered, will they come out? Why people feared that with it being a
:10:33. > :10:36.snap election only ten months after the last one that people wouldn't
:10:37. > :10:40.come out, my experience is that people are angry. They do want to
:10:41. > :10:47.register a protest against those who have wasted opportunities in
:10:48. > :10:51.government. They are coming out to vote for alternatives such as the
:10:52. > :10:56.Green party. Jim Allister, easy power-sharing is simply not working.
:10:57. > :11:02.If that is the case, why should people return you to your seat in
:11:03. > :11:06.North Antrim? I have been a thorn in the side of the misrule at Stormont
:11:07. > :11:09.and I think people want to sharpen at Thorn and they can do that by
:11:10. > :11:17.voting TUV across the country on Thursday and many will. What would
:11:18. > :11:20.be your top priority? It would be to fix Stormont, get rid of the
:11:21. > :11:25.absurdity of mandatory coalition which pages together parties without
:11:26. > :11:29.agreeing on anything and then when in government. Part. We can't go on
:11:30. > :11:33.like this. We have to get government and if we can't fix Stormont then we
:11:34. > :11:36.need to move to a situation where we put in the British ministers keep
:11:37. > :11:42.the Assembly as the body through which they pass laws so we have some
:11:43. > :11:48.modicum of control. You were talking about coalition of the willing,
:11:49. > :11:52.rather than a mandatory coalition. Who would you go into coalition
:11:53. > :11:56.with? I would never go into government with Sinn Fein because
:11:57. > :12:01.they are in the business of the strike Northern Ireland. I want to
:12:02. > :12:04.preserve Northern Ireland. Other parties to recognise the need to
:12:05. > :12:11.make the success of Northern Ireland I would work with the stop if we
:12:12. > :12:14.cannot fix Stormont in that way, away from mandatory coalition to win
:12:15. > :12:17.a coalition of the willing and we have to face reality, it is not
:12:18. > :12:24.working and we cannot stay like this. In four weeks we might even
:12:25. > :12:31.have a budget. Fiona Ferguson, your top priority? Our priority is to
:12:32. > :12:38.fight against austerity. We won to see an the privatisation within our
:12:39. > :12:42.health care system, we want an end to the lack of housing. We have had
:12:43. > :12:47.ten years of inadequate housing supply. In this election I have
:12:48. > :12:51.known of three local protest in North Belfast by people stand up
:12:52. > :12:56.against the housing crisis going on. That is exactly what we would
:12:57. > :13:00.address. Going forward, we cannot just say we are anti-austerity and
:13:01. > :13:04.then implement austerity. We cannot say we want to see the rights of
:13:05. > :13:11.others respected and then not respect those rights. We need
:13:12. > :13:15.parties being elected and we need to be the thorn in the side of the
:13:16. > :13:19.bigger parties. If you are elected, what is your top priority? The
:13:20. > :13:24.absolute priority has to be getting a budget in place because otherwise
:13:25. > :13:28.we will see ?600 billion of extra cuts, extra cost to health care, to
:13:29. > :13:36.education. These are already crumbling under Tory austerity. Jim
:13:37. > :13:39.is right that we do need to fix Stormont, but not by ceding power to
:13:40. > :13:45.Westminster, but giving more power to our citizens who are ahead of
:13:46. > :13:48.many of the politicians. We need a constitutional convention to review,
:13:49. > :13:52.reform and revitalise the Good Friday Agreement. The Good Friday
:13:53. > :13:55.Agreement was called the People's agreement, but politicians have
:13:56. > :13:58.guarded the power jealousy. It is time to give that power back to our
:13:59. > :14:03.citizens so they can move us forward. The keeper during me.
:14:04. > :14:06.In other news relatives of a murder victim sobbed in court today
:14:07. > :14:09.as a teenager accused of the killing appeared in the dock.
:14:10. > :14:11.19-year-old Rhys Magee denies murdering Richard Miskelly outside
:14:12. > :14:28.Richard Miskelly died close to the Bangla Road in Newtownards. Police
:14:29. > :14:33.received reports of an assault and said this was in the early hours of
:14:34. > :14:38.Sunday morning. Paramedics tried to resuscitate the 24-year-old but he
:14:39. > :14:42.died at the scene. Rhys Magee from the Ards Peninsula is accused of his
:14:43. > :14:46.murder and of perverting the course of justice. The Linard 's
:14:47. > :14:51.Magistrates' Court heard claims he spoke to a witness saying, you got
:14:52. > :14:55.an hour before me, you did not see anything. Some of the relatives of
:14:56. > :14:58.Richard Miskelly sobbed in the gallery as the court heard the
:14:59. > :15:01.incident began in the early hours of Sunday morning when the victim was
:15:02. > :15:06.asked to leave a house and the Bangla Road. He was pursued and
:15:07. > :15:09.assaulted. The defence solicitor said his client had administered CPR
:15:10. > :15:14.to the victim and helped the emergency services. Mr McGee's
:15:15. > :15:19.solicitor said when the murder charge was put to his client in
:15:20. > :15:23.custody he said I did not murder Richard Miskelly and salary for his
:15:24. > :15:26.family. He said he was definitely not guilty of the charge of
:15:27. > :15:32.perverting the course of justice. He has been remanded in custody.
:15:33. > :15:35.The family of Lisa Dorrian has appealed directly to the person
:15:36. > :15:38.who was with her when she died to help them find her body.
:15:39. > :15:40.The 25-year-old from Bangor is believed to have been murdered,
:15:41. > :15:42.she disappeared on this day 12 years ago.
:15:43. > :15:44.In an emotional video message, her father and sisters
:15:45. > :16:01.Lisa Dorrian as her family remember a beautiful, funny and loving. The
:16:02. > :16:06.25-year-old disappeared 12 years ago today after a party at this caravan
:16:07. > :16:11.site on the Ards Peninsula. The police believed she was murdered.
:16:12. > :16:16.Now her father and two sisters are appealing to the person who was with
:16:17. > :16:21.her when she died. She thought you were her friend. Visit trusted you.
:16:22. > :16:26.Think back to that night. I am sure it is not hard to do. It mustn't
:16:27. > :16:30.ever be far from your thoughts. Think about what happened when Lisa
:16:31. > :16:33.died, how you panic and made a decision that would change your life
:16:34. > :16:40.and our lives for ever. Then think of Lisa. Despite nearly 300 searches
:16:41. > :16:45.over 12 years, the body has never been found. The police investigation
:16:46. > :16:49.has identified thousands of potential witnesses and if people
:16:50. > :16:52.have been arrested on suspicion of murder, although no one has ever
:16:53. > :16:58.been charged in connection with the death. Lisa's mother died in 2015.
:16:59. > :17:04.Her grandmother passed away two weeks ago. One of the last things
:17:05. > :17:08.Mani said to me as she left this earth was that Lisa was at the end
:17:09. > :17:11.of her bed and was waiting with her. Our nanny and mum now have the
:17:12. > :17:17.answers we are trying to find that you can help us find Lisa in this
:17:18. > :17:20.life. We all think of Lisa every day and I am sure you do too. Tell us
:17:21. > :17:26.where she is. It is never too late to tell us. A place is all we need.
:17:27. > :17:33.Help yourself by using your conscience. Elsewhere Lisa is.
:17:34. > :17:34.Police have stretched this remains a live investigation and what anyone
:17:35. > :17:39.with information to contact them. A 42-year-old man's been arrested
:17:40. > :17:41.by detectives investigating an explosion at Palace Barracks
:17:42. > :17:43.in Holywood in August 2015. The device detonated inside a postal
:17:44. > :17:46.delivery van and damaged two cars. In other election news,
:17:47. > :17:57.the Ulster Unionist Party has said it's to write to the Head
:17:58. > :17:59.of the Civil Service questioning comments made by Stormont's most
:18:00. > :18:01.senior health official, Richard Pengelly, who is the husband
:18:02. > :18:04.of a DUP candidate. He raised concerns about health
:18:05. > :18:10.staff posting political comments Also today Sinn Fein have defended
:18:11. > :18:15.a decision by an election candidate to distribute a letter on party
:18:16. > :18:18.headed notepaper to the parents Here's our Political
:18:19. > :18:32.Correspondent, Stephen Walker. In the battle for votes and in the
:18:33. > :18:39.heat of an election campaign, social media is a vital to, but it needs
:18:40. > :18:43.caution. Richard Pengelly is the permanent secretary at the
:18:44. > :18:48.Department of Health. He is the most senior health official. The husband
:18:49. > :18:50.of a DUP candidate he put on record his concerns about health staff
:18:51. > :18:56.tweeting during the election campaign. The wrote that when staff
:18:57. > :19:01.are clinically independent, they must remember the health staff. He
:19:02. > :19:04.said he was concerned about the overtly political tweets from
:19:05. > :19:09.colleagues across the service. He added that it was particularly
:19:10. > :19:13.relevant during the election. He said that such public statements
:19:14. > :19:18.were not appropriate. His comments have been criticised. I am worried
:19:19. > :19:22.if it is considered that doctors and nurses cannot have political
:19:23. > :19:26.opinions, I am worried if they cannot have an opinion on the health
:19:27. > :19:32.service which gives a huge concern. I think there is an issue there. The
:19:33. > :19:36.Ulster Unionists say they are directed at the civil service
:19:37. > :19:39.questioned whether Mr Pengelly's comments were appropriate. They have
:19:40. > :19:43.accused Mr Pengelly of hypocrisy think he was pictured last year
:19:44. > :19:49.congratulating his wife winning a seat with with a DUP. Meanwhile,
:19:50. > :19:52.Sinn Fein have defended a decision by Michelle Gildernew, an election
:19:53. > :19:57.candidate, to distribute a letter on party headed paper to the parents of
:19:58. > :20:01.school children. The letter, produced in the Belfast Telegraph,
:20:02. > :20:06.was brought home the children attending the St Francis primary
:20:07. > :20:11.School in dairy in County Tyrone. Sinn Fein segment was part of
:20:12. > :20:14.Michelle Gildernew's campaign to secure better broadband, but the
:20:15. > :20:21.letter prompted one period to seek legal advice. This isn't about a
:20:22. > :20:25.particular party. This is about children. The most vulnerable and
:20:26. > :20:30.youngest in society. They are at primary school, being given material
:20:31. > :20:36.of a party political nature. It is not about any party in particular,
:20:37. > :20:41.it is about children being used or excluded in this manner. Sinn Fein
:20:42. > :20:46.say the letter was about trying to get better services. Broadband is a
:20:47. > :20:50.major issue for people in rural areas. An issue which Michelle has
:20:51. > :20:54.campaigned for many years and the party has as a whole. The is a
:20:55. > :20:58.parent a child who attends the school and she was raising the issue
:20:59. > :21:02.with the rest of the parents to pick it up, try to get their support
:21:03. > :21:07.because we need to deliver more for rural citizens. A spokesperson for
:21:08. > :21:09.the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools say they nor the school have
:21:10. > :21:11.received no complaints. The GAA has submitted a new planning
:21:12. > :21:14.application for a stadium It would have a capacity of just
:21:15. > :21:18.over 34000, down by almost 4000 But some residents remain
:21:19. > :21:39.opposed to the development. This was the design unveiled by the
:21:40. > :21:43.GAA last October. The plan today has not been made public, but the
:21:44. > :21:48.organisation says it is only marginally different with the
:21:49. > :21:52.capacity reduced further to just over 30 4000. It and have thousands
:21:53. > :21:57.of those standing. October design at its height, skill and capacity of
:21:58. > :22:01.reduced from the previous design. The GAA said he two they have
:22:02. > :22:04.received a positive report from the safety technical group which advises
:22:05. > :22:09.on the construction of new stadiums in Northern Ireland. It has been
:22:10. > :22:13.imported to ensure that, from our point of view, we are top of the
:22:14. > :22:17.class in relation to 70. That is paramount and in relation to the
:22:18. > :22:21.planning application and the safer the situation we believe we are well
:22:22. > :22:25.in excess of where he would be at this stage of the process. Not
:22:26. > :22:31.everyone is convinced. Some residents say plans for a stadium
:22:32. > :22:35.with the capacity greater than 25,000 with numerous concerns about
:22:36. > :22:40.safety and infrastructure. We do not want a stadium of that capacity in
:22:41. > :22:47.the area. We want a stadium in the range of 20 to 20 5000. That is the
:22:48. > :22:52.capacity we believe is suitable given the traffic impacts and given
:22:53. > :22:58.concerns around emergency exiting. Residents say the proposed plan is
:22:59. > :23:03.too big. The GAA says that a new stadium would bring regeneration and
:23:04. > :23:06.a sporting legacy to the area. However this issue is resolved, it
:23:07. > :23:13.will only become clear in the coming months.
:23:14. > :23:15.There is still some wintry weather about.
:23:16. > :23:20.The weather forecast now, with Barra Best.
:23:21. > :23:25.We hold on to a handful of showers through tonight. They might turn
:23:26. > :23:30.wintry as temperatures for the freezer and below. We are likely to
:23:31. > :23:35.seek some frost and some stretches of ice by morning as well. A chilly
:23:36. > :23:39.start, but overall not a bad day. It would be as wet as today and they
:23:40. > :23:43.will be some sunshine. It marks the first day of spring in the weather
:23:44. > :23:48.world. Some of us follow the ancient Celtic calendar, suffered then
:23:49. > :23:53.distorted and Saint Bridget's day. For astronomers we have two with a
:23:54. > :23:57.little longer. Those of his Brixton dates, pick whichever one you want
:23:58. > :24:01.to follow. As for tomorrow, a chilly start. The odd shower, but some
:24:02. > :24:05.sunny caps coming and going and that will continue right through the day.
:24:06. > :24:08.If I'd slap across Britain and Ireland apart from the scattered
:24:09. > :24:12.short. This next weather system will push on. It will affect southern
:24:13. > :24:16.areas of Ireland in two parts of Wales and central and southern
:24:17. > :24:20.England, gradually drifting northwards. For most of us,
:24:21. > :24:23.temperatures will raise seven or 8 degrees with scattered showers and
:24:24. > :24:28.sunny spells the further north you are. Into the afternoon, the wind
:24:29. > :24:31.will be light and temperatures should reach seven or 8 degrees. By
:24:32. > :24:37.tomorrow evening, the club will begin from the South as rain pushes
:24:38. > :24:41.in. Some of that could be wintry, especially over the tops of the
:24:42. > :24:45.hills and the mountains. With more cloud around tomorrow it will not be
:24:46. > :24:48.quite as chilly as frosty. Apart from a few scattered showers on
:24:49. > :24:48.Thursday there will be sunny caps to enjoy as well.
:24:49. > :24:51.Our next BBC Newsline is at 6:25 in the morning
:24:52. > :24:55.You can also keep updated with news online.