Speeches by Swann.

“To pick up on one point, Mr Robinson, with regard to your process for establishing a Programme for Government after an election, do you agree that if you pack that out, the next step is a Programme for Government supported by a Budget before d’Hondt? Is that something you would be willing to endorse and support, rather…”

“Thank you, Mr Robinson, for attending. I am sorry, but I think, Gavin, you have taken the wrong attitude towards what this session is about. It is about teasing out how reforms could come about and could actually be supportive; it is not to denigrate and say that if we change the titles for First Minister, everything w…”

“That is what I wanted to be clear about. I do not want to portray that they were DUP changes, because the changes of designation at St Andrews that Claire mentioned, to appoint the First Minister and Deputy First Minister rather than have them elected by the Assembly, were actually a detriment, from a personal view and…”

“Thanks for your attendance, Jon. Eóin explained earlier that the use of the petition of concern was valid and met the rules despite the wider conversation around that, but I share your concern that it was brought by an Alliance Back-Bench MLA to an Alliance Justice Minister’s Bill. In comparison, the Speaker here decid…”

“Thank you, Mr Robinson, for attending. I am sorry, but I think, Gavin, you have taken the wrong attitude towards what this session is about. It is about teasing out how reforms could come about and could actually be supportive; it is not to denigrate and say that if we change the titles for First Minister, everything w…”

“So it is not about parties refusing First Minister and Deputy First Minister; you want those positions to be allocated through D’Hondt as well.”

“In what timeline do you think that that should be done? Before the next election, or after? That is why I asked you at the start about the synchronisation of Programme for Government and budget before d’Hondt. A review could be put in, but—I say this as someone who was also involved in earlier conversations: the Stormo…”

“That is what I wanted to be clear about. I do not want to portray that they were DUP changes, because the changes of designation at St Andrews that Claire mentioned, to appoint the First Minister and Deputy First Minister rather than have them elected by the Assembly, were actually a detriment, from a personal view and…”

“Matthew, you used the phrase “cannot go on like this”. Without reform, what do you see as the future of the institutions?”

“Matthew, you used the phrase “cannot go on like this”. Without reform, what do you see as the future of the institutions?”

“Thanks for coming to give evidence, Matthew. In your comment there, you talked about the impact of not making decisions on spending money. We are now 10 weeks into this financial year, and the Executive have yet to agree a budget. You are Chair of the Committee for Finance, so what impact is that having and what impact…”

“Thank you for attending. You used the phrase “point of destruction” and “inability to change” and referred to the ineffectiveness of the Stormont institutions. Do you think there comes a point where, if there is an inability to reform, Stormont then ceases to serve its purpose?”

“On a point of clarification about the First Minister and Deputy First Minister nominations, in your proposal, if a party refuses to nominate a First Minister or Deputy First Minister, should it still be able to take the Executive positions it is entitled to? Sinn Féin and DUP are entitled to two Executive Ministries. I…”

“Thanks for your attendance, Jon. Eóin explained earlier that the use of the petition of concern was valid and met the rules despite the wider conversation around that, but I share your concern that it was brought by an Alliance Back-Bench MLA to an Alliance Justice Minister’s Bill. In comparison, the Speaker here decid…”

“Thanks for your attendance, Jon. Eóin explained earlier that the use of the petition of concern was valid and met the rules despite the wider conversation around that, but I share your concern that it was brought by an Alliance Back-Bench MLA to an Alliance Justice Minister’s Bill. In comparison, the Speaker here decid…”

“You mentioned Opposition. I was there at the time when both our parties went into formal Opposition voluntarily. Some have said that the reason for collapse at that stage was because of the pressure we put on the DUP-Sinn Féin duopoly at that stage, and the fact of politics. You mentioned a number of reforms such as ch…”

“The Secretary of State has said that the UK Government are “open to conversations about ideas which can command a consensus” on reform; are you saying that you will not engage?”

“That is what I wanted to be clear about. I do not want to portray that they were DUP changes, because the changes of designation at St Andrews that Claire mentioned, to appoint the First Minister and Deputy First Minister rather than have them elected by the Assembly, were actually a detriment, from a personal view and…”

“In what timeline do you think that that should be done? Before the next election, or after? That is why I asked you at the start about the synchronisation of Programme for Government and budget before d’Hondt. A review could be put in, but—I say this as someone who was also involved in earlier conversations: the Stormo…”

“On a point of clarification, not all Ministers didn’t attend scrutiny committees. As a former Minister who attended 14 times in two years, there is an opportunity to do that. I agree that there are some who avoid the scrutiny committees. Jon, you spoke of fundamental changes to strand 1. Some of the changes that you ar…”