Green Sammy's Debut 2
Sammy Wilson is launching the new Environment Agency at Carrickfergus tomorrow, but there might be a few spare tickets for the event. David Ford is refusing to go, describing the event as "a total sham" and "the political equivalent of the emperor's new clothes". This is because Sammy's predecessor, Arlene Foster, rejected the creation of an independent Environmental Protection Agency. Instead the "new" body will be a revamped version of the current in house Environment and Heritage Service.
Not to be outdone, the Environment Committee chair Patsy McGlone has also declared that it would be "an absolute waste" of his time to attend. "Just as Marathon became Snickers" Patsy argues "the new Environment Agency replacing Environment and Heritage Service has all the same packaging and content - the only thing to change is the name."
Whilst dwelling on green matters, I'd like to revisit my entry Green Sammy's Debut 1. A few days after publishing it a reader pointed out that our Minister's signature wasn't on Early Day Motion 893 dealing with "Rainforests and Climate Change." I thought I must be going crazy as I was sure I had spotted it. After checking with the parliamentary authorities, though, I gather that Sammy did sign the EDM. Clicking on the button which allows you to switch from "Open Signatures" to "All Signatures" reveals his name, and the Commons tell me this means he withdrew his signature (apparently on 26th June, 3 days after I published the blog).
I am still waiting to hear from the Environment Department the reason why, but in the meantime you can examine the EDM 893 on this link. At the time of writing, Sammy Wilson's signature is still on EDM 178 from 2005 which "agrees with the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser that climate change is a threat to civilisation".
I'm 
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Mark,
Can you please have a word with your colleagues in the BBC? It seems a few of them have trouble with the names of some of the local Government departments.
A classic example being the frequent reference to the "Department of Education and Learning". One might query the difference between it and the actual Department of Education.
Your colleague Martina Purdy is guilty as charged. This evening she filed a report for Newsline, filmed outside the Department for Employment and Learning (the correct name for the aforementioned department). Somehow, despite a huge sign proclaiming the correct name in the background of her report she still managed to refer to it as the Department OF Employment and Learning.
Sloppy journalism if ever I saw it!
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Big deal if David Ford is there or not. Sammy or anyone else will not miss him or his sad attempt at being seriousness to the business at hand. If David was given a real job what would he do? Go to The Department of Employment and Learning!!!
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Somehow I don't think the majority of people are worried about the mistake made by Ms Purdy with "of" and "for"
Indeed, if Mark "had a word with her" I'd be concerned. What is he, a headmaster ?
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Mark
SAMMY'S NEW CLOTHES
David Ford's description of the new Environment Agency as "the political equivalent of the emperor's new clothes" is bang on the button. The all-singing, all-dancing launch of the new Agency cannot disguise the fact that the only noticeable difference will be a change in its letterheads.
And if Sammy's officials have convinced him that he has created a new body to tackle environmental issues then, just like the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, they have left him exposed. But there again, Sammy has previous in this regard.
Susie
Carryduff
6 July, 2008
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