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  • 2 months ago
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00:00The findings of the Commissioner are very clear and unequivocal.
00:03The Minister failed to...
00:05...to show the leadership that was required of him in his position as Minister.
00:08He's Minister for Housing.
00:10Minister for Communities.
00:11He has a duty and responsibility to all of those people who are...
00:15...were victims of what was significant violence at that time.
00:18And the Commissioner, I think, has been very clear.
00:20...that he failed to meet the standards.
00:22We have clearly...
00:25...found in the cold light of process that Gordon Lyons has breached the Ministerial Code.
00:29And at a time...
00:30...when people were being burnt out of their homes because of the colour of...
00:35...their skin, he has found to have increased tensions.
00:39We didn't want to...
00:40...layer a political crisis onto a race-hate crisis at the time.
00:44We wanted to allow...
00:45...a process to run its course and that has now happened.
00:48And if accountability can't...
00:50...to be found by that process, it will be yet another indictment of the fear.
00:55...the failing and unreformed political structures here that are disconnecting with...
01:00...people.
01:01Thank you for the question.
01:02I stand where I stand, as does Gordon...
01:05...and all my colleagues, I think anybody who reads these standards...
01:10...commissioners report and the correspondence irrespective of their political...
01:15...of you would be left with two conclusions.
01:18One...
01:20...her conclusions are totally irrational.
01:23Do not stand up to...
01:25...to scrutiny and are subjective.
01:28But more importantly, there's...
01:30...no need to look at anything with hindsight because her report...
01:35...should be one people look at with foresight as to what's to come.
01:40...an exceptionally high bar where she is passing judgment...
01:45...on the ministerial code when there is no clear...
01:50...concernable breach.
01:51There is no evidence to stack.
01:55...alongside her conclusions.
01:57And so I see it as wrong.
01:59I see...
02:00...as foolhardy and I don't see it as...
02:02...in any way within the interests...
02:04...of good...
02:05...government in Northern Ireland were any true reflection...
02:08...of the man who stands to my right.
02:10So...
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