Delivering Responsible Government: extract from Conference Speech

12.00.00pm GMT Sat 23rd Jan 2010

Addressing the Alliance Conference, David Ford said:

We are, at present, in the role of opposition at Stormont. Unlike those who think you can be represented in the Executive yet engage in silly stunts on a weekly basis, we recognise that there is a role for constructive criticism, supporting what is right and opposing what is wrong.

We are ambitious for Alliance and ambitious for Northern Ireland. We want to develop stable and sustainable political institutions which underpin a normal society. On the other hand, the Executive has missed too many opportunities. It has failed to provide good governance, failed to improve the economy, failed to promote sustainability of either the economy or public services. Most of all, it has failed to even start on the task of building a shared future.

We continue to seek changes in the institutions which will provide better governance, including normal government and opposition politics, with parties changing places as the electorate decides. The current structures were set up to support a peace process, not to provide coherent government. We will work for a consensus that recognises there is a better way and, in the meantime, we will play our part in the current institutions in a fair and honest manner.

We judge business in the Assembly on the basis of our vision and our core values. We will do so whether we are in government or opposition, because if we go into government, our vision and our values will remain unaltered and we will continue to pursue them.

You will all be aware of the sensitivity of the current crisis, but I want to tell you what we are doing to assist in resolving it.

We have said for some time that the important issue about the devolution of justice was to ensure that there was an agreement between the parties on the necessary policies, capable of being delivered through an agreed Programme for the Department of Justice. We have said that this is far more important than the personality of the Minister.

Just look again at the mess around the eleven plus, or the failure to have an independent environmental protection agency. Both of these show the real problems that arise when agreement was not reached in advance and individual Ministers did not agree with the majority of their Executive colleagues. Such a position would be absolutely untenable for justice matters, given the serious issues that will be the responsibility of the new Department.

That is why, 18 months ago, we very specifically refused the suggestion that we should provide a Minister who would have no real role, no powers, no influence. There has been a continuing media storm about who the Minister might be and we have continued to say, on every occasion in every way possible, that the issue is about policy, not personality.

Of course, I am ambitious for Alliance. Of course, I believe an Alliance Minister could be relied on to do a good job, a fair job, an impartial job as Minister in the Department of Justice, or any other Department.

But, in the present set-up, that Minister would have to have policy agreement among a critical mass of MLAs and Executive Ministers if they were to have a chance of delivering what the people expect.

It is immensely flattering to have people suggest that an Alliance Minister would be the best option to ensure smooth devolution of justice. That suggestion has come from journalists and commentators, from individuals involved in the justice system and from ordinary citizens with no axe to grind. I agree with them. An Alliance Justice Minister would be good for Northern Ireland, but only if the circumstances are right.

(full speech is at 'Speeches')