Could Paul Givan’s “conscience clause” be used against Christians?

Paul Givan's "Conscience Clause" -
the first "opt in" law in history?
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Former double-jobbing MLA Paul Givan, now chairperson of the Stormont Justice Committee (answerable to minister David Ford), is submitting a clause which would allow exemption from equality legislation on the grounds of “conscience”.

Taking the recent decision against Ashers bakery as his starting point, Mr Givan is keen for us to see this as clearing up a “grey area” that disadvantaged the Christian owner of Ashers.

Regarding this case, although the decision went against the bakery, it would be hard to see exactly what he means, as the bakery hardly lost out despite a decision against it, with the DUP making a big play of flooding their conference with Ashers brand baked goods and countless messages of support.

However, has the ambitious Givan really thought this through?

Firstly, it would create a loophole intentionally, and perhaps create the first ever “opt in” law in modern legal history. Think for example if a loophole was made in law relating to speeding for the owners of powerful cars. Hardly a good idea, is it? It’s basically a scrapping of the whole law. And what about that law?

Originally designed to stop innocent members of the public being discriminated against due to belonging, or being assumed to belong to, a particular group in society. It could be used against the very group Givan claims he is trying to protect.

Think about this one: “No, sorry sir, I refuse to bake you a confirmation cake as this is an (opposing ideology) bakery, and Mr Givan’s law gives me that right”.

Cake baking may not be that serious an affair, but what Givan isn’t telling you is that this would cover ALL aspects of life. It would allow people who do not agree with you, your beliefs or your identity to legally disadvantage you on that basis alone.

The sad fact is that this case is very much a product of Givan’s – and his party’s – own making. By refusing to let churches and religious groups that wished to do so hold marriage ceremonies for same sex couples (such as the non-subscribing Presbyterian Church All Souls in Belfast), Givan has helped create this quagmire. In reality this would have PROTECTED churches’ rights to not hold same sex marriages if it was against their wishes, the perfect balance of rights in that situation, satisfying both camps.

But see this clumsy amendment for what it really is: an attempt to bolster the DUP’s focus group created image as “strong” in the run-up to Westminster elections, which they are worried about due to high profile in-party squabbles and their fumbling of many key issues, welfare reform being a prominent one.

Don’t become a notch on Paul Givan’s career’s bedpost. See through his ill thought out exemption clause and write directly to him letting him know you do not support his amendment as it weakens everyone’s right to be free from discrimination. Keep an eye out for any public consultation that Givan has alluded to on his twitter feed.

The Green Party includes members with a diverse range of faiths and none, united with a  common interest in creating a sustainable and prosperous future for everyone in our country. Find out more at www.greenpartyni.org .

Lagan Valley Green Party supports People’s NHS campaign

In recent years, our local hospital has faced many threats. Lagan Valley’s residents know only too well about the closures of our A&E – but not many will know about one of the biggest so far to our local hospital and indeed the entire health service. It is called the “Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership” – or TTIP for short. It is basically a deal between the USA and EU that allows international corporations to act without hindrance. It is a free trade deal. Since 2012, the NHS has been effectively turned into a marketplace. Big corporations, under TTIP, could bid for all government spending, including for NHS services. TTIP would prioritize the rights of corporations over patient care standards and safety.

You may think that it is only right that the NHS gets a bit of a shake as its standards have slipped in recent years. That may be the case in some places, but TTIP would make this far less likely to happen. TTIP replaces care standards with profit margins. You may think privatization of the NHS is OK- as long as it Is closely regulated, but here is the catch – TTIP is all about de-regulation. We realize there are some people who think free trade is a good idea. The great thing about this campaign is that it is only asking the NHS to be exempt from TTIP, not scrap the whole thing.

This means everyone who values the NHS can sign it no matter what their economic views. The aim of all private industry is to make a profit above all else. This is simply too big a threat to everything we expect from the NHS – standards judged on outcome rather than only low cost, years of experience and above all, open to all regardless of ability to pay. TTIP would also let corporations sue the government if they aren’t getting their way, which would waste a lot more taxpayer’s money. Take the recent decision in China against pharmaceutical giant GSK as a warning of what can go wrong with private business and health.

That’s why we are happy to support the petition and call on David Cameron to use his veto in the EU to make sure we aren’t gambling with our NHS. There is already so much pressure on our health service for many reasons; let’s not deal it the fatal blow. We urge everyone to research the issue for themselves, and sign the petition at www.peoplesnhs.org. We also encourage our colleagues in all parties to get together on this one.

Picture: Lagan Valley Greens members signing the petition in Hillsborough.

Lagan Valley Greens create petition for Book of Condolence for Nelson Mandela

The Lagan Valley Green Party has reacted with sadness at the decision of Lisburn's Mayor, Margaret Tolerton, to refuse to create a book of condolence for Nelson Mandela. In doing so we believe she has made Mandela's death a political issue, when there was no need to do so.

Secondly it has tarnished Lisburn's image at a time of year when we need as much goodwill as we can get to foster our town's economy. We believe that the many residents of Lisburn who wish to convey their sympathy and warm regards to the surviving family and those who have felt the loss worldwide should have the ability to do so.

In the past Lisburn City Council has opened these books for Alex Higgins and George Best as well as other prominent figures upon news of their deaths. Why not Nelson Mandela, who is held up worldwide as an exemplary person?

We have created an online petition for all those who wish to have a book of condolence in Lisburn Civic Centre. It can be found, and digitally signed, at:

www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/lccmandelatribute .

It is also linked to on our twitter account @lvgreens and at facebook.com/lvgreens  .

We hope common sense will prevail and Margaret Tolerton reverses her decision.

Time for a Change

This weekend has been another ugly episode in Northern Ireland's recent past. Trouble started at a protest called by the Orange Order, at the decision by the Parades Commission not to allow an Orangemen's march to take place in North Belfast on 12 July.

The protest turned to a riot, with some truly shocking scenes, as police, including reinforcements from GB, tried to enforce the ban. Dozens of police were injured. Nigel Dodds MLA was knocked unconscious. Since that day, there have been clashes between protesters and police every night and not just in the Woodvale Road area.

Matt Baggott, the Chief Constable of PSNI, described the Orange Order's call for a protest as reckless. Although they called for "peaceful protest", it seems extremely unlikely they would not have known violence was a highly likely outcome. The Parades Commission did not make their decision by tossing a coin in the air - they knew the risks and warned us of them.

As with the flags protests earlier in the year, the majority, the peace-loving people of Northern Ireland, watch with deep sadness as their country is torn apart and its image is destroyed yet again, with these pictures of violence being shown in the national and international media. How depressing and yet how seemingly inevitable it has become, for the twelfth July celebrations to descend into anarchy and destruction.

We need to take a step back from here. In 1998 all sides of the Northern Ireland political debate made some sacrifices in order to reach a better future. There were difficult decisions made, but there was an understanding that without these compromises, there would be no peace; the stability that this country so badly needed would never come. Now, we need to remember the lessons we learned in the run-up to the Good Friday agreement. There need to be sacrifices made by the Orange Order. Yes, the traditions are important. But if a peaceful twelfth means sacrificing one or two of the marching routes, this must be a price worth paying.

Response to controversial Lisburn City Mayoral Selection

Despite the political progress in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday agreement, unfortunate reminders of the past resurface from time to time.

In the recent selection of Mayor for Lisburn City Council, it was disappointing to see that the main point discussed by our councillors, in essence, was the candidates view on the Northern Ireland border.

We expect the alternative candidate, Cllr Martin, would feel little pride in being considered for Mayor mostly on the basis that he is not a member of the DUP or Sinn Fein! Whilst we hope that councillors can resolve this issue amicably amongst themselves, we would like to offer a few notes of concern.

The first is that most of the pageantry and decoration around Lagan Valley’s towns, especially at this time of year, comes from one side of the community.

Since our retailers depend from trade emanating from the residents in the Republic of Ireland, especially in Sprucefield, surely we want a shared city.

Many residents of Lisburn City Council who live in areas such as Twinbrook and Poleglass feel closer to West Belfast – meaning Lisburn’s retailers lose their trade.

We are in favour of people celebrating their culture peacefully and respectfully. However when added to other recent measures such as renaming Ballymacoss playing fields as the ‘Queen Elizabeth II’ playing fields, huge pageants celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee and the ill-fated attempt to give the Orange Order the Freedom of the City, we have to ask ourselves some serious questions.

Are we doing all we can to make sure that Lisburn is an open and welcoming place for all our citizens? Are we diffusing very real and volatile tensions within our community? Have our councillors been good stewards of our city and worked for the benefit of all our people?

Many loyalists, after the flags protests, expressed disappointment that the people they had elected to represent them had not represented them properly.

Secondly, we are concerned that this Mayoral appointment does not bode well for the proposed merger of Lisburn City and Castlereagh Borough councils. It has already been dubbed a ‘unionist super-council’ by some and indeed it looks likely it will become a DUP held council. Due to the loss of Dunmurry Cross, it looks like a lot of nationalist seats will go too. Will this loss of representation and equilibrium allow the DUP to go ahead virtually unopposed with measures that the public do not support?

When will politics in Lagan Valley join the modern age, leaving single issue disputes behind? The Green Party in Lagan Valley wants to see a truly shared space, where people do not avoid Lisburn due to its reputation. It is time we put our citizens first and supported our local businesses with some positive PR!

BBC Spotlight investigation demonstrates why transparency in NI Politics is essential

In the wake of the BBC Spotlight investigation into Red Sky, NIHE and the involvement of senior DUP politicians, Green MLA Steven Agnew has reiterated his long-standing demands for greater political transparency in Northern Ireland.

“This journalistic expose of the behind the scenes dealings of senior DUP Executive politicians on behalf of a discredited private company raises some very serious questions,” the Green Party Leader said.

“Those questions need to be answered openly and honestly and in a timely way if the public are to have any kind of trust in our political system.

“The Green Party has consistently called for greater transparency regarding the relationship between parties and their corporate and private supporters.

“Every political decision in Northern Ireland is open to questions of undue influence from vested interests - from planning decisions to procurement contracts, the question is always asked was this decision made in the public interest or in the interests of party supporters.

“Given the recent power grab by the DUP in regards to the Planning Bill where OFMDFM will be able to call the shots regarding designated economic zones, complete financial transparency is now essential.

“Quite simply, there can be no democracy without transparency,” Mr Agnew said.

“The Green Party in Northern Ireland does not accept corporate donations and was the first Party to publish its donations online.

“We have been campaigning long and hard to make sure the electorate have the full picture of who pulls the strings with political parties before they give their vote.

“We await with interest Minister McCausland's and First Minister Robinson’s responses to the issues raised in this BBC program.”

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.”