{"id":1506,"date":"2013-03-20T09:03:00","date_gmt":"2013-03-20T09:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/?p=1506"},"modified":"2013-03-20T09:06:32","modified_gmt":"2013-03-20T09:06:32","slug":"jim-allisters-special-advisors-bill-motion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/?p=1506","title":{"rendered":"Jim Allisters Special Advisors Bill Motion"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Just a short personal opinion on the Bill designed to block former prisoners–“with serious offences”-from taking up positions as special advisors at Stormont.\u00a0\u00a0TUV MLA Jim Allister brought the Bill basically after the appointment of high profile ex Republican prisoner Mary McArdle as an advisor to the Culture Minister Caral Ni Chuilin. McArdle had been convicted for her part in the 1984 murder of judge’s daughter Mary Travers.\u00a0 The Bill seeks to ban anyone who has been sentenced to more than 5 years in prison, from taking up similar posts in the future.
\nThe only opposition to the Bill predictably came in the shape of Sinn Fein.\u00a0 To think that there would be any Unionist opposition to such a proposal is delusional.\u00a0 At present we, as a Loyalist community do not have anyone in Stormont who we\u00a0could label as representative of our community.\u00a0 We had in the past and certainly aspire to have representation there again.\u00a0 If we are fortunate enough to once again have people of the calibre of David Ervine or Billy Hutchinson once again established in Stormont the chances are that they will be restricted in who they choose as special advisors.\u00a0 There are a multitude of Loyalist politically motivated ex prisoners who would be qualified to take up such positions but would be prevented from doing so when this Bill is eventually ratified.
\nWhere is the logic behind such thinking from Allister and those who back him?\u00a0 He is prepared and content to sit in government with individuals like Gerry Kelly–Raymond McCartney–Conor Murphy–the aforementioned Caral–Martina Anderson–all, who, if memory served me right served sentences in excess of 5 years.\u00a0 Why such a selective response?\u00a0 The reality from Allisters point of view is that it is quite okay for ex prisoners–Republicans to boot–to help run the country in tandem with himself–but unacceptable for them to have an advisor who may have in theory served less time than them in Long Kesh…or in McArdle’s case Armagh.\u00a0 It is a \u00a0ludicrous situation–but one that is highly unlikely to be challenged–apart fron Sinn Fein.\u00a0 Allister is a weasel of a politician who will jump on any badwagon when he sees an opportunity.\u00a0 Or jump off one when he cannot get his own way either!!\u00a0 In this\u00a0particular case\u00a0he has manipulated a situation where he has championed himself as representative of victims in order to highlight his own dubious profile. Nothing more.<\/p>\n

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