Debate contribution: Assembly and Executive Reform
Debate contribution by Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly on .
- MLA
- Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 8 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Assembly and Executive Reform
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5600552
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for her question. We all know that we want this place to work, and we want it to work better. The DUP has, of course, set out its stall on a number of areas where, we believe, that should and could be the case. Real partnership working comes from relationships. As I stand here, I am a little bit disappointed and sad about what I have just witnessed across the Chamber, because that is not partnership working. When I stood in the Chamber on the very first day that I took up this post, I said that it is about recognising that we have differences, that we are from different backgrounds and that we have different aspirations. However, you can only force partnership working to some extent. Partnership working must be based on genuine respect. It is about trying to work on an agreed Programme for Government (PFG) for the betterment of the people whom we serve. As I have said, I look to the future. It is really sad that some people are looking to the past. With an election coming up, this is all about landing blows and bringing people down, when what we really need to do is to work together for everyone in Northern Ireland.
213 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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