THE BRITISH government is using alarmist claims about man-made climate change in order to justify “draconian” measures, “intrusive policies” and “insidious” propaganda, the Stormont Environment Minister has claimed.
Sammy Wilson, who is also DUP MP for East Antrim, told the committee of Assembly members which scrutinises his department: “I can understand why it is important that the message be got over by a government which has now so many policies, so many intrusive policies.
“I can understand why they want to get the subliminal message over. That’s the only way the [British] government is going to succeed in getting people to accept the draconian increases.”
The committee passed a vote of no-confidence in the Minister earlier this month following a series of controversial claims by Mr Wilson about the causes of climate change. He was also criticised over his decision not to allow the broadcast in Northern Ireland of government public information films on climate change.
Green campaigners and Mr Wilson’s political opponents in Stormont have called for his resignation.
Yesterday Mr Wilson referred to British policy proposals, including the idea that carbon allowances could be allocated on an individual basis.
“Those are the kind of policies which are being put forward to get people to accept that, then you have got to persuade them that there’s some drastic things coming down the road,” he told the committee.
“When a minister from Westminster says it doesn’t matter what the view of the devolved administrations across the UK are . . . I think I was probably standing up for the rights of the devolved administration.”
Addressing calls for him to stand down, Mr Wilson told Assembly members: “I have done the job to the best of my ability . . . Do I always get it right? Probably not, because I am not infallible. If it came to votes of no-confidence I can dispense with them because if I thought I was not doing my job right I would resign.” Environment campaigners last night renewed calls for him to stand down.
Friends of the Earth said: “Sammy Wilson is making Northern Ireland a laughing stock . . . First Minister Peter Robinson must call time on his disastrous appointment.”
Mr Wilson’s DUP colleague, Minister for Sport Gregory Campbell, told another Stormont committee yesterday that money saved by his scrapping of plans for a shared stadium at the site of the former Maze prison would be used to upgrade existing facilities.
He said some £70 million (€78.6 million) – which would not now go on an all-seater stadium – would be ploughed into other schemes.
The money would not be returned to the finance department, he said.
“The short answer is we don’t have to surrender the money. The money was allocated for stadium development, it is my intention that the money will be spent on stadium development.” In response to questioning from Sinn Féin members of the committee, Mr Campbell said: “There’s not going to be a multi-sports stadium at the Maze . . . That’s unambiguous and we move on beyond that.”