Robbie Butler
Lagan Valley · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Officials highlighted that alignment was provided through existing EU-derived arrangements and that coherence with existing regulatory frameworks was identified as a main consideration.”
“I note that the Member for Strangford agrees: she understands the value of our fisheries in those areas. There are other complexities. The Isle of Man Government have now done a bit of a circle around that island, which makes it difficult for our fishers from Portavogie, Kilkeel and Portaferry to craft and graft a living from some of the…”
“The Committee took the opportunity to question officials on several issues and highlight matters warranting scrutiny at Committee Stage but was not limited to those areas.”
“As the Minister said, they have possibly been viewed as competing demands, but they are not competing demands, because clean water is part of sustainable food production.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am glad to see language in the Bill on the sustainability of the aquaculture sector, and I want to lean in a bit on that. Aquaculture pastimes have, perhaps, been underutilised, whether they relate to the angling fraternity or other river and water users.”
“Today, I want to talk about a very talented young girl from Lisburn called Freya Terris. Freya, who is 17 years old, attends Friends' School and studies the piano under former Lisburn resident Rory Dowse. Freya is an incredibly accomplished young pianist and has performed in the Ulster Hall.”
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“The Member will be aware that the main focal point of celebrations for the platinum jubilee will be an extended public holiday from 2 June to 5 June. <BR /> <BR />The responsibility for leading the Assembly in marking civic events and other important occasions comes within the Speaker's representational role. Members who were here in 2012 may recall that Speaker Hay held a concert in the Great Hall to mark the diamond jubilee with the then Lord Lieutenant, Dame Mary Peters. <BR /> <BR />Obviously, after the May election, the Assembly is expected to elect a new Speaker. It will therefore be for the Speaker at that time to determine any additional arrangements for how the Assembly marks the platinum jubilee in advance of the June focal point.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, reaching question 14 is a bit of a record for any sitting, is it not? <BR /> <BR />I thank the Member for his question. The Member will be aware that the Assembly Commission agreed to a request from the Assembly branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to grant permission to plant a tree on the grounds adjacent to Parliament Buildings to mark Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's platinum jubilee. That decision was agreed unanimously by the Assembly Commission, and I think that it was welcomed by all members as very positive. <BR /> <BR />Members will also be aware that a Speaker's event was held yesterday on Commonwealth Day. At that event, the tree to mark the platinum jubilee was officially planted by members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association branch and members of the Assembly Commission.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. He will know that I am here to reflect the Assembly Commission’s corporate and agreed position rather than my personal view. It is no secret that there were different views in the Assembly Commission on the matter, but that reflects the politics of the Assembly itself.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As he will be aware, the Assembly Commission agreed an approach to the decade of centenaries that requires that any Assembly Commission decisions to mark centenaries be agreed by consensus. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly Commission agreed a programme of events for the centenary. However, political consensus could not be reached on the proposal for a centenary stone when it was considered previously. While it is possible for the Assembly Commission to reconsider any proposal made to it, the issue would remain one of being able to reach a political consensus.”
“Minister Poots might not be best placed to answer it, but perhaps the officials and the Minister of Education could respond. The problems that existed still exist. The winding up of GTCNI and the creation of a new body is vital. However, teachers and young people are still subject to a lot of the concerns that the Committee members have shared. Could the Minister find this out for us: will there be an interim report on what steps the Department is taking before new legislation comes forward to ensure that the matters that have been raised, whether in the report or at the Committee, are addressed in the interim?”
“I see the new Member for Lagan Valley sitting in his seat, so I welcome Mr Paul Rankin. I hope that he enjoys his few days on the Bench, although his is not the face that I expected to see here. I perhaps expected to see Mr Donaldson. <BR /> <BR />I will move to the matter that we are discussing. The Minister is not here, and I wish her the very best with her illness. I thank her for the speed at which she acted on the report. The Committee heard a number of reports about GTCNI. Concerns were raised with regard to teachers and, more specifically, our pupils. We welcome what is happening. I thank Minister Poots for stepping in and bringing the Bill to its Final Stage. <BR /> <BR />I want to ask one question, if that is OK.”
“Is the Member interested in hearing the Minister's position on the use and application of the legislation to protect people who are travelling from war-torn Ukraine and need to avail of safe spaces, which should be safe?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I am not minded to speak at length. I want to thank the Minister and all those who have spoken. The Member raises a really interesting point about what is going on in the world at the moment. We know that tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees, if not more, will need to find refuge. We have seen the offer of homes for them. Many people from Northern Ireland have taken up that mantle and are offering them a safe space. However, we also know that there are predators out there who would use these opportunities for malevolent purposes; that has happened in the past. We recently went through the pain of the apologies from some of the institutions, which, in some ways, did not go far enough.”
“You will not be, as has been suggested, voting against an integrated education Bill, but you will be voting against a Bill that would elevate one sector above another and which would direct resources that are required away from school types and educational initiatives. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, the Ulster Unionist Party opposes the Bill and commits to redressing, in the next mandate, the imbalances that we have identified in this Bill, by whatever fair legislative measure is possible, if this Bill is passed today.”
“The fact that that was rejected by the Alliance Party, Sinn Féin and the SDLP is absolutely beyond explanation and should serve as a warning about the lack of fairness and equality in the Bill. <BR /> <BR />One of the many takeaways and lessons from this Bill's passage is that a failure to engage with affected stakeholders and to take on board their concerns brings fear and division. When we look at the public discourse on this Bill, we see that its provisions and intent bring unnecessary destabilisation when we already know that a wider transformation of education is imminent and is one that all stakeholders can and will contribute to. <BR /> <BR />I urge Members to look beyond the misleading headlines of what the Bill is about. I urge those who have previously indicated support for the Bill to consider voting against it.”
“If this Bill were aiming to support and nurture integration across all of our schools, I would be making a different speech today, but, sadly, it does not. <BR /> <BR />We were told time and again, at all stages of the Bill, that there would not be any detrimental impact to any other school as a result of this Bill. It was raised at each stage. Taking people at their word, I offered an amendment at a previous stage that simply put into the Bill an assurance that no other school type would be detrimentally impacted by the strategy. That seemed like a useful amendment, given the words that have been spoken in this Chamber and in consultation with me that there would be no detriment to any other sector.”
“It will require the Department to have an integrated strategy, which will make sweeping provisions of support for integrated schools and, perhaps, will leave other schools scrambling for support from already tight budgets. <BR /> <BR />The Bill sponsor has repeatedly stated that the aggregated schools budget will not be affected. The aggregated schools budget is the money per pupil that schools receive. However, that is clearly wrong because the aggregated schools budget is calculated when the top-slicing to run education has been made. That means that the aggregated budget is the money that is left over and divided equally per pupil. The strategy alone in the case of this Bill's provisions for the integrated sector will only be part of that top-slicing. Therefore, any non-ring-fenced finances will suffer proportionally.”
“My kids went to Friends' School Lisburn, which is a voluntary grammar. I would like to know from anyone who is interested how my kids would have been exposed to a higher level of sectarianism, or how they would have been more likely to be bigoted or sectarian because they did not go to an officially integrated school. In some people's minds, that environment is incongruent with an integrated ethos. I, of course, am painting a caricature, and, perhaps, a parody, but the reality is that integration occurs organically in almost all of our controlled schools, and quite a few maintained schools. <BR /> <BR />The other major stumbling block in the Bill is that it will elevate the integrated sector at the expense of other educational types. The Bill will codify a bias in the Department.”
“The Bill now seeks to define "integrated education" merely as an ethos, with no measurable ambition or targets for the physical mixing and learning together of our children. <BR /> <BR />Furthermore, it defines "integrated education" as being possible in only an officially integrated school. That is an affront to the many controlled schools, in particular, that successfully and organically welcome children from all backgrounds to learn together. I support integrated education, at least in the sense of how it has always been defined and how I have assumed it to be, but the new definitions do not do that. <BR /> <BR />There is also the baseless assumption that integration cannot and does not occur in other schools. I find that quite insulting. Justin McNulty shared how he felt during parts of the consultation on the Bill.”
“<BR /> <BR />My words today about the Bill will be critical. The reality is that there were many opportunities for the Bill to be improved, with the negative consequences of its original drafting being ironed out. Sadly, that has not happened in all the instances where it needed to. <BR /> <BR />One of the least mentioned but most significant stumbling blocks in the Bill is the new definition of integrated education. Before the Bill existed, integrated education was defined and assessed by probably 90% of the population of Northern Ireland to be the aspiration of the education together of children from Protestant and Roman Catholic backgrounds. That aspiration has been lost in the Bill, with the changes in clauses 1 and 2.”
“<BR /> <BR />I have been clear throughout every stage of the Bill that the Ulster Unionist Party wanted to work with the Bill's sponsor to improve the Bill so that it would have a meaningful and positive impact, and would be able to be supported by everyone in the Chamber, but we have always maintained that we would not, and could not, support a Bill that promoted one education sector over another. We are now at Final Stage, and the Bill, in its final form, does not do what we need it to do, nor does it pass the Ronseal test: it does not do what it says on the tin. The Bill will not speak to, nor will it deliver, improved educational standards or outcomes. It will not increase levels of integration, as most of us believe integration to be, which is pupils from different community backgrounds being in the same school.”
“It does not even attempt to move us towards that goal. <BR /> <BR />I have stated previously that the Bill further reinforces a sectoral approach to education. That was my point in the previous debates, and it remains my position. Whereas our aspiration is for organic integration for all of our schools, the Bill seeks to mandate a preferential position for grant-maintained integrated schools, with very real budgetary impacts on the controlled, maintained and voluntary sectors. That is some people's preference and priority, but it is not ours.”
“I feel, from listening to the debate, and given the length of time that we have spent talking about the Bill, that we are all pretty much well over its provisions. That is evident from not just the breadth and depth of the debate on the Bill in the Chamber but the overwhelming levels of correspondence that we have all received from those in the education sector and many families. <BR /> <BR />The Ulster Unionist Party has been clear: our priority has always been that Northern Ireland should have a single education system that is organically integrated. I am not naive enough to think that we can achieve that through the single stroke of a pen — it certainly does not fit into a private Member's Bill — but we aspire to that and aim to move closer to it in a way in which everyone can move forward together. The Bill does not achieve that.”
“Absolutely. That was brought up. In this technological age, young people especially rely on those, so that would be really good. The technology is probably not that difficult to create and map out. It would be useful. We need to remember that some people find it difficult to ask for and to access things. If we can remove the need for people to ask someone and, instead, have the answer at the touch of a button, that is something that we should definitely consider doing. I agree with the Chair on that. <BR /> <BR />I commend all the amendments to the House and seek approval for all of them.”
“The Minister paid tribute to the Department of Education and its period dignity pilot. Some of the feedback from that has been absolutely excellent, particularly with regard to the conversations that need to continue after we get the Bill passed at Final Stage.”
“Paula also recognised that it is a good Bill but some areas required clarity. There might be an item that needs to be tidied up at the next stage, and I know that we will work collegiately on that. <BR /> <BR />The final Member to speak was the Minister. Minister, forgive me if I did not say this at the start: thank you for coming today, showing your passion and speaking so personally about your circumstances and what it means to you as a woman, not just a Minister. It is really important that people see the person in this and the people in the Chamber who are talking about it. <BR /> <BR />The Minister said that there should be no barrier to participation and access to the product. I could not agree more with that. That is one of the technical things that we will have to work out to ensure that it happens.”
“<BR /> <BR />Paula Bradshaw from the Health Committee pointed out that the legislation is designed to mirror that of other jurisdictions, which is a really good point; in fact, it was probably one of the more important points that we talked about in Committee. What we have done since then is look to make sure that we Northern Ireland-ise it. That is a good point.”
“<BR /> <BR />Cara, I will not rest on you too much, if you do not mind, but I thought that your testimony with regard to Pat and those conversations was revealing but believable. Thank you for the support that you gave him. <BR /> <BR />Another Committee colleague, Nicola Brogan, mentioned youth engagement and, particularly, Homeless Period Belfast. I thank her for her support for amendment No 1 and for recognising that it is a cross-cutting, cross-departmental issue. That is, perhaps, where it is best served. <BR /> <BR />Sinead McLaughlin joined us on StarLeaf and paid tribute to the all-party support from around the Chamber, which is always useful to see.”
“<BR /> <BR />Another Education Committee member, Diane Dodds, spoke third. Diane is powerful on the Education Committee, and she brought really interesting angles to the Committee sessions. I always felt that, at every stage, she tried to work for the betterment of the Bill and to pick out not problems but the issues that I have mentioned, in particular around the fiscal piece with regard to where the money comes from and how we can sustain it and give the Departments and institutions that will have to provide it the comfort of knowing that, when it is finally put together, TEO will have that mapped out. It is then up to the Assembly to ensure that that is the case. Diane went on to reiterate the issues that were picked out by the young people with regard to safety and confidentiality, and she said that she would support the Bill.”
“We have an election coming up in early May, and none of us knows whether we will be here after that election. However, to put your name to a Bill, get it to this stage and, hopefully, get it through Further Consideration Stage and Final Stage is a powerful legacy, particularly for a man, in this instance, given the topic. Pat Catney's colleague who shares an office with him, the long-suffering Cara Hunter, pointed out the difficult conversations that they were having at the start when Pat was trying to assess whether it was appropriate that he should do it. Absolutely, Pat: 100%. Well done, Pat. You were given good advice on that. Thanks to Pat Sheehan for his support for my amendment No 1. We discussed it in the Education Committee, and you mentioned it yourself, Pat, to be fair.”
“COVID offered up a facility whereby sometimes, when young people returned to school, there was greater uptake of things like swimming and sports and stuff, especially by young girls. Behind some of the figures that have been bandied about on why girls do not partake in physical activity and sports as much as boys do, maybe this is one of the main reasons why that is the case. Perhaps we are starting to learn the law of good unintended consequences as opposed to poor ones. <BR /> <BR />The second Member to speak was Pat Sheehan from Sinn Féin. Again, he reiterated the "Happy International Women's Day", because he knows that, when he goes home, he will be asked about it. One of the most important things that Pat shared is the legacy that the Bill will leave.”
“<BR /> <BR />Before I move off the Chair's comments, I think that Education Committee members will agree that, in those powerful sessions that we had with the young people, while there was a lot of passion about the provision and accessibility of the products, how it would be done with dignity and that type of stuff, the real value in the conversations was about the education piece, the destigmatisation and the normality of what we talk about and about how we can drive real change. For instance, in one of the sessions, one of the teachers talked about access to sports and sports provision — if Justin McNulty were here, he would be absolutely on this — and how there is an unspoken-about barrier with regard to the products, changing and so on.”
“I absolutely agree. I thank the Member for his intervention. The point that I was making was that, in reality, where we had teachers and parents having to provide those items, they had to make that choice. Whether it be toilet rolls, the soap in the dispensers or, in this case, period products, those are the types of things that need to be ring-fenced. The burden does not need to be placed on schools. That is the point that I was making.”
“Obviously, sometimes, when budgets are constrained, you might dilute the product quality. We do not want that to happen here; we want to ensure that the quality of those products is as good as it can be for those who need them.”
“We have to accept, however, the reality that there is a challenge to find the money, even if that is smaller amounts of money. By spreading the burden, I hope that it is met equally and that each Department, under the leadership of TEO, faces up to the challenge and finds that it can provide the product, not just in the first instance but sustainably. <BR /> <BR />Another matter that came up in the Education Committee was the need to ensure that there is equal provision of a quality, sustainable product.”
“A matter came up at one of the events. I heard one of the young people say that we needed to treat period products like toilet paper. That is absolutely right and fair, but we also need to wind back a couple of years and remember the reports from school principals about parents having to supply toilet roll for schools in some instances when budgets were constrained. One of the criticisms of the Bill has been over money. The Bill sponsor said that not a huge amount of money is required, and he is right. We are, however, talking about single-year Budgets, flatline Budgets, inflation going through the roof and rising fuel costs. All those things will be competing with one another. <BR /> <BR />I hope that amendment No 1 is agreed so that responsibility goes to TEO, because I believe in the Bill's cross-cutting nature.”
“The Minister talked about the fact that, while the Bill is about period poverty, the debate is wider than that; it is about menstruation. There are ongoing debates about perinatal mental health, the perimenopause and the menopause. All those issues affect women and girls. The Bill is a linchpin and a cornerstone of ensuring that we have a level playing field, an awareness of the issues and the products for those who need them. <BR /> <BR />I will turn to some of the comments made. Something struck me when the Chair spoke. He talked about some of the Committee's engagement with youth, which was absolutely fabulous. Some of the young people spoke incredibly freely, but so did the teachers. The teachers fronted up in the discussion many times to talk about the challenges that a lot of young people face in school.”
“To be fair to the Chair of the Education Committee — Pat talked about this — he chaired the meetings really well, particularly those on this Bill. Part of the Committee's job is to scrutinise every Bill. Often, a Bill is not perfect when it first comes to us, especially when its sponsor comes at it with an absolute passion, so it is fair for it to be critiqued. Clarity has been sought, and it has been given for many of the amendments. Some of that clarity came through the Education Committee, so I say to my colleagues on the Committee that that is really good. <BR /> <BR />One of the best things about being involved in the Bill — this is a shout-out to the men on International Women's Day — is the fact that the men were so comfortable talking about periods and menstruation. That is the nature of the debate.”
“I thank the Member for that. He probably speaks quite accurately. Next week, we will probably find that he was on to something. Maybe he has had a tip. <BR /> <BR />The Member speaks with passion in just about every debate in which he speaks. We have sparred at times, but there is no sparring to be done in this debate. Everybody in the Chamber has brought their A game to their critique of the Bill. The first Member to speak after I moved amendment No 1 was the outgoing Chair of the Education Committee, soon to be a retired Member of the House, although he looks extremely youthful.”
“Every Member who contributed spoke incredibly well on the really important Bill introduced by the Member for Lagan Valley. Every Member who spoke paid tribute to International Women's Day. It is remarkable that the debate is today, given the subject. I do not know whether you are doing the lottery this week, Pat. Given the way in which things are falling for you, if you do not do it, I suggest that you start.”
“I support that as well <BR /> <BR />Amendment Nos 8, 9 and 10, which have been tabled by the Committee, reflect the compassionate concerns and comments that were raised at Committee Stage. The dignity, privacy and confidentiality of those who require the provision of period products is paramount and should absolutely be enshrined in the Bill. I am more than happy to support those amendments. <BR /> <BR />I wholeheartedly endorse the aims of the Bill, and I am happy to support the amendments that have been tabled.”
“Furthermore, amendment No 1 dovetails with amendment No 12, which seeks to insert a new clause that will lay a responsibility on the Executive to review and report on the Bill. <BR /> <BR />I do not take issue with any of the other amendments. The majority are technical in nature and work to enhance the wording of the Bill. I particularly support amendment No 7, which provides for a review of departmental regulation every three years. That will keep the legislation agile and reactive to any identified gaps in free period product provision that become apparent in the first few years of the Bill's implementation. Similarly, amendment No 12, which provides for a three-yearly report and review before the Assembly, will allow us to be responsive and adaptive to the outcomes of the Bill.”
“The purpose of the amendment is to rationalise where the overall duty of responsibility for the Bill should lie. Rest assured, as I read through the Bill and the provisions contained therein, I had no issue with the provisions in clause 1. I do, though, draw the conclusion that the Department of Health is not the correct place for the Bill to be administered to have a universal impact. The Bill is definitively cross-cutting and will have an impact on public service bodies that sit under the functions of a wide variety of Departments. One only has to look at clause 2 to see that the onus is on each and every Stormont Department to identify public service bodies to which the provisions of the Bill will apply.”
“On behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party, I will speak on the amendments that are before us and, hopefully, support the Bill to its further passage. First, I express my thanks for all the work that Members across the House have put into the Bill in the Chamber and particularly in the Education Committee. I also thank the Bill sponsor, my colleague from Lagan Valley Mr Pat Catney, for all his work, his receptive nature in receiving suggestions and comments throughout the Bill's passage, and for the manner in which it is starting to take a little bit of shape. <BR /> <BR />It is in my name so I beg to move amendment No 1:”
“<BR /> <BR />There can be little doubt that "in plain sight" gambling will be easier to monitor and mitigate, but we must be incredibly careful that we do not simply drive users online and into the darker spaces where their gambling will go unnoticed and, sadly in some instances, to the point where it is too little, too late. There are many reasons why the people of Northern Ireland need a functioning Executive in May 2022, and I suggest that further protection from gambling-related harm from a growing and more sinister online industry should focus hearts and minds on the fact that the well-being of the people of Northern Ireland must always come first. We support the Bill.”
“In that regard, it is right and proper to thank the Northern Ireland Amusement Caterers Trades Association (NIACTA) and the Northern Ireland Turf Guardians' Association for their contributions to the all-party group and for their commitment to work collegiately in improving legislation, not only for the purposes of better regulation but for the monitoring of the well-being of their clients and customers. <BR /> <BR />From what I have learned, land-based operators are well placed to offer visible protections and safeguards. It is important that the Department for Communities works proactively with those operators to fashion workable and sustainable solutions. What causes me great concern, however, is the piece that we have not had time to legislate for, which is the growing danger of online gambling.”
“For some of us, it does not reach the parts that will bring the highest levels of protection. However, the need to ensure that the industry, in particular the online industry, takes better account must not be missed. I am not a gambling abolitionist in any sense. I grew up in a family where many liked a flutter, and my late granny Butler from west Belfast was a regular guest at just about every bingo hall across Northern Ireland. She absolutely loved and lived for her nights out amongst friends.”
“<BR /> <BR />Perhaps of greatest importance for me is to put on record my most humble thanks and sincere appreciation to a couple of families who, throughout the all-party group's sessions, faithfully attended and shared their passion to see others protected from the pain that they have experienced by losing someone whom they loved to gambling addiction and untimely death. Pete and Sadie Keogh, along with Charles and Liz Ritchie, have bared their souls in the pursuit of a just change that they want to see and that would help to prevent death or serious harm occurring to those who cannot stop gambling and, perhaps, for other families. <BR /> <BR />I do not intend, nor is it right at this stage, to rehearse the better aspects or otherwise of the Bill.”
“Whilst some of the energy of this legislation comes from the fact that the existing legislation is long past its use-by date, the real energy to bring change is the increasingly obvious fact that we need legislation that puts the user at the centre of protections, regulations and, indeed, codes of practice. <BR /> <BR />I have had the privilege of being the chair of the all-party group on reducing harm related to gambling for around two years. The input of members such as Paula Bradley and Jim Wells and, in particular, the vice chair Philip McGuigan, all of whom attended regularly, has been essential. The expert assistance of the secretariat, Chambré PA and CARE NI helped us to fashion a substantial report that, I am sure, facilitated some of what we see in the Bill today.”
“I begin by thanking the Minister for recognising that the Bill, which is important and potentially life-saving, was worth pursuing in this mandate. More specifically, l thank her departmental officials, who have worked incredibly hard and have been faithful in attending the many evidence sessions of the all-party group on reducing harm related to gambling. <BR /> <BR />The Ulster Unionist Party has demonstrated its commitment to tackling the issues that matter most to people across Northern Ireland. Health and well-being has been at the very core of everything that we have done since the Assembly returned in January 2020. In taking the Health portfolio, we overtly fulfilled our pre-election promise to put people and their health first.”
“Finally, will the Minister, perhaps in her winding-up speech, detail the relevant criminal offences as per subsection 6(c) of amendment No 5? Will they be detailed in regulations?”
“<BR /> <BR />At Consideration Stage, we also highlighted the fact that we would have liked to have been in a position to support an enhancement to the notice to quit periods. However we felt that, without wider consideration of what exemptions might have been required, the risk of unintended consequences was, at that stage, too great. However, the will of the House at that stage was to pass the notice to quit amendments. Therefore, amendment No 5, which, as we previously indicated, we will support, is necessary. It provides an easier understanding of the notice-to-quit periods than that previously provided for under the amendment at Consideration Stage whilst also providing that:”
“As we indicated at Consideration Stage, we understood and appreciated the intent behind that amendment but were concerned that it could have unintended consequences. That remains our view. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 1 from the Department tries to address the potential for unintended consequences. Indeed, many across the housing sector share that position. We repeat our calls for the Minister to look at providing assistance through a targeted financial support scheme, especially in light of rising living costs. We also repeat what we said at Consideration Stage: during the next phase of private sector reform, following the election, there is a need to consider providing a private rented sector housing panel, similar to that in Scotland, that would assess and adjudicate on the proportionality of rent increases.”
“<BR /> <BR />Turning to the amendments, I thank and commend the departmental officials because there is no doubt that they were bounced by some of the amendments that were supported at Consideration Stage. Undoubtedly, countless hours will have been spent on shaping the amendments that are before us today, especially in the short window between Consideration Stage and Further Consideration Stage. We will support all of the departmental amendments in the name of the Minister. Despite the majority of parties raising concerns and indicating their opposition to the amendment on rent decreases due to their potential unintended consequences, the will of many in the House last week was to pass it.”
“As Members will be well aware, the past number of months have been challenging for these institutions as we have worked to pass legislation at an unprecedented rate. While there is no doubt that, in many instances, the legislation that is passed will have a positive and meaningful impact on the lives of many across society, we still have to work proactively to ensure the highest level of scrutiny of that legislation. Over the past couple of weeks, we have seen the need for that more than ever. Just as we own good legislation, equally, we do not want to own bad legislation, if it were to happen. However, it is important to remember that, first and foremost, we are here to legislate. There will be many times when we have to choose the unpopular path to avoid making bad legislation.”