Open Letter to First Minister, Arlene Foster

Dear Ms Foster

Thank you for your recent letter asking for my vote in the Stormont Assembly elections on Thursday 5 May.

I am very happy to vote for your party providing that I can get from you some clarification on your key policies.

Regarding Corporation Tax, why is it important to reduce the rate? This cut will considerably reduce the amount of money brought into the public purse and therefore restrict spending further, in already austere times. You appear to be taking a gamble that the cut in this tax rate will attract more businesses to Northern Ireland; what evidence do you have that this will work? And why do you think it is important to offer a tax cut to big business when welfare cuts are being imposed on the poorest people in our society? Finally, do you not think it is right and fair for big businesses to pay their fair share of taxation to the public finances? Why should tax rates for big business be lower than the level of personal income tax, for example?

Can you explain why your party supports archaic policies designed to prevent women having pregnancy terminations, particularly in the cases of rape, incest and fatal fetal abnormalities? Is this not another example of Northern Ireland being behind the times, being not only the one remaining part of the United Kingdom with such antiquated laws, but also being among a very small minority of so-called developed countries in the world with such draconian restrictions on a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body?

Could you please explain why your party has opposed equal marriage in our society for so long and continues to do so? Do you think it was appropriate to use a Petition of Concern last year to block legislation on this issue when the majority of members of the assembly were in favour? Do you really think this is the kind of issue the Petition of Concern was introduced to address? If the issue comes before the Assembly again, would you allow your party’s MLAs a free vote?

Can you explain why there remains a ban on gay and bisexual men giving blood? You will be aware that this ban has been described by a judge as “irrational”. You will also know that there is no scientific evidence supporting such a ban.

Can you reassure me that you will, unlike your predecessor Peter Robinson, take appropriate measures and sanctions, against senior members of your party who express homophobic views?

Do you think it is acceptable for the LGBT community to be discriminated against in these ways? Would you be happy if such discrimination were routinely handed out to women, or left-handed people, for example?

On issues of the environment, can you explain your party’s position on climate change? I have heard senior members of your party deny its existence, contrary to all scientific evidence. Can you explain why so little appears to have been done by your government to tackle this issue, which has been described as the most serious issue facing humanity? Will you, for example, be renewing a commitment to the Green New Deal, which would retrofit our aging housing stock with 21st century insulation? This would reduce Northern Ireland’s overall CO₂ output, would provide work for thousands of people in the construction industry and would, most importantly, give many of our people living in fuel poverty a decent chance to reduce their fuel bills. Why is it that in Northern Ireland more people per capita die of winter cold than in Finland?

Can you explain your party’s continued support of the fracking industry, in the face of public opposition and the possibility of water contamination? Can you be sure that drilling only 380 metres from Woodburn Reservoir cannot contaminate the water within that reservoir? Were appropriate groundwater modelling studies undertaken to check this possibility prior to drilling commencing?

Can you explain why your party is in favour of leaving the European Union? Do you think it will free the UK – and Northern Ireland in particular – from environmental legislation that is lacking on a national level? Or do you think that it will help big businesses by removing some of the rights of our workers?

Finally, could you please clarify your position on financial donations to political parties? Do you know when the DUP will start publishing a list of all its donors? Do you not think it is time Northern Ireland came into line with the rest of the United Kingdom and made it mandatory for political parties to publish such a list? Or are there any political donations the DUP would not want the rest of the world to know about? You will be aware that there have been hints of improper financial dealings surrounding your predecessor, particularly with regard to property deals. Do you not think that an atmosphere of greater transparency would be in the interest of democracy in general?

In your letter you referred again and again to the possibility of Martin McGuinness becoming First Minister, in an attempt, I assume, to frighten me. However, unless I receive from you satisfactory clarification on the points I have raised, I find the prospect of your party returning to power, and having you as First Minister, equally, if not more frightening.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Luke Robinson

Lagan Valley Green Party

Green Party says government is insulting communities with fracking bribe

The Green Party in Northern Ireland has hit out at a government suggestion that communities subjected to Fracking would be offered a 1 per cent share in profits of gas extraction.

“Quite frankly, it is an insult to try to bribe people to accept the unacceptable,” Green MLA Steven Agnew said.

“There may be relatively small windfall amounts of cash available, although we have not seen any actual figures around this, at the start of the fracking process but the fact is gas flow rates from wells deteriorate quickly.

“This is pure economic short-termism which has been the general failure of government.

“I think it is sign of desperation that communities are being offered a small sop to keep them quiet so multinational energy companies can exploit their natural resources at great human and environmental costs to the people living in the areas designated for fracking.

“It may come as surprise to some politicians and corporate interests, but money isn’t everything.

“Government may be dangling a financial carrot but that carrot is rotten to the core.

“Human health and protecting the environment for future generations is not something that should be bought and sold because it suits the Con/Dem agenda who have been fooled into thinking that Fracking is the panacea to our energy needs.

“Gas is the cause of high energy prices – not the solution.

“We need to promote, invest in and develop sustainable energy sources to break the addiction to fossil fuels which profits only oil and gas companies which have no real investment in the future of the communities which they seek to pollute.”

Green Party deeply concerned about Fracking

Green Party in Northern Ireland European candidate and European Shale Gas Working Group co-ordinator Ross Brown said: “Fracking is a dirty extraction process which involves injecting millions of gallons of chemicals deep underground to fracture rock to release gas.

“There are thousands of well-documented instances of environmental contamination and negative health impacts associated with fracking.

“In places where fracking has been permitted doctors are reporting cases of weakness, headaches, nausea, rashes and burning eyes from residents living in the area.

“The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment are just about to grant more prospecting licences which will mean that many areas in Northern Ireland will now be covered. (see map below)

“Fracking has been banned in France, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic and has been halted in a number of other locations including a number of US and German states.

“In 2011, the Northern Ireland Assembly passed a Green Party motion calling for the withdrawal of four exploration licences, which had been issued in Northern Ireland at that time. In spite of the real dangers highlighted during this debate, Arlene Foster, the DUP Minister has failed to act.

“The Green Party in Northern Ireland wants to make sure that citizens know exactly what it is happening before it is too late and they suddenly find their areas dotted with gas wells spewing out contaminants and chemicals.

“Fracking is an extreme energy which is akin to scraping the bottom of the barrel to reach gas reserves.

“Concerns are often rightly raised regarding fracking and contamination of water supplies but it must also be remembered that this is a dirty process which also can contribute to significant air pollution.

“Fracking also puts in jeopardy two of our biggest revenue-driving sectors of tourism and agribusiness.

“Not to mention the disruptive and negative impact it will have on people leaving close to well pads who will see their health put at risk and their house prices devalued.

“The people of Northern Ireland now need to come together and make it known to the Department of Enterprise that we do not want the process of fracking destroying our health and environment so multi-national energy companies can make money off the misery of communities living in close proximity to these wells.”

Greens Oppose Granting of Fracking Licences

Lagan Valley Greens have written to Arlene Foster MLA, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment to express serious concerns about the imminent granting of licences for hydraulic fracturing to extract shale gas.

In the letter, Dr Luke Robinson points out that the there are many uncertainties and considerable potential dangers presented by fracking technology, such as contamination of the water system and the possibility of induced seismic activity. The Greens believe that fracking will blemish areas of pristine natural beauty and damage valuable ecosystems.

In addition to these concerns, Dr Robinson points out that we should be moving away from fossil fuel sources of energy and towards more sustainable sources.

He also expressed disappointed at the extent of public engagement, which amounted to a very small announcement in a few local newspapers.