Business First Issue2 Vol5 CH2:Layout 1 23/10/2009 14:32 Page 14
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Commentary
When the personal is
political
by Quintin Oliver, Stratagem
I
t doesn’t seem like a year a conflict experienced by many in carrying out public
since we were getting duties that conflict with their private beliefs, religious,
ready for the inaugural political or otherwise.
Slugger O’Toole Political As minister for the Environment, Wilson was
Awards. The awards were responsible for taking a lead on climate change issues
conceived as a way of recognising good performance in and the roll-out of many policies predicated on the
the field of politics, as all too often we tend to focus on belief that human activity is contributing to climate
the negative side of things. change. What was interesting about Wilson was that in
Since last year’s awards bash we’ve had expense articulating his personal opinion about the relationship
scandals and the economic downturn, so perhaps it is between human activity and climate change (i.e. that
even more important this year as we gear up for the there is none) he wasn’t merely leading the charge for a
second annual Slugger Awards to highlight the work of Kuhnian-type paradigm shift in current scientific
those who are making a difference politically. thought, he was scoring lots of political brownie points.
Last year’s glittering ceremony took place at W5 at the Brownie points from those who are ideologically
Odyssey Arena, and was attended by Assembly opposed to, as they would frame it, increased state
Members, councillors, bloggers, journalists and political ‘interference’ in our lives; Brownie points with the
aficionados. This year’s event at the Black Box in Belfast’s media, because Sammy always gives good headlines
Cathedral Quarter in November promises to be an even and finally, brownie points with party members who
bigger affair, as the Slugger Awards are now firmly were more than happy to see one of their Ministers
established on the political calendar. extend the battle with Sinn Féin from the traditional
Again this year, the Stratagem team is working with orange/ green discourse to more of a (conservative?)
Mick Fealty and friends to deliver the awards. Having blue/ green debate.
recently relaunched our website and taken a step into On the other hand, Poots was very quick off the mark
the world of Twitter, we’re big fans of new media and to establish that his personal beliefs will not define his
politics being blended, and nowhere is this achieved term as Minister. Ironically, he did so in religious terms.
more successfully than on the Slugger O’Toole website. While rejecting the science of evolution, the Lagan
Speaking of politics, the Assembly is returning from Valley MLA embraced the protection of the earth: “If you
recess. A number of new Ministers have had the believe God made this Earth, you will believe you should
summer to bed-in to their new roles including Sammy look after something he has given us.” The minister
Wilson, who shifted from Environment to Finance and seems to be placing himself within the environmental
Personnel, Nelson McCausland, who was appointed evangelical movement that is growing rapidly both here
Culture, Arts and Leisure Minister, Robin Newton, who and in the United States.
replaced Jeffrey Donaldson as Junior Minister, and As many now see environmentalism as an issue of
Edwin Poots, who made a return to the Executive as faith rather than another public policy objective, debate
Minister for the Environment. about the public and private gets increasingly complex
It is last in this list, Mr Poots, who has so far proven to as traditional fault lines between science and faith are
be most intriguing of the DUP’s recent appointments to redefined.
the Executive. When his promotion was announced, As politics in Northern Ireland moves beyond the
many were interested to see if he would follow in the traditional unionist/ nationalist issues, it will be
footsteps of his outspoken predecessor Mr Wilson. For interesting to observe how more complex aspects of
many, the defining theme of Wilson’s stay at Clarence personal belief impact on the direction of policy and
Court was a conflict between the public and the private; government here.
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