Debate contribution: Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Debate contribution by Mr Jon Burrows on 6 October 2026.

MLA: Mr Jon Burrows
Party at the time: Ulster Unionist Party
Date: 6 October 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5776736

Text

Minister Muir is a decent man, but the motion is not about his personality. It is about his performance, and that has been catastrophically inept. It is also about his judgement and the signal that he sends to the farmers whom he is supposed to represent. What we have seen today is the staggering arrogance of the Alliance Party. The empty Chamber is also a staggering indictment of the other parties. If the debate were on something happening halfway around the world, the Sinn Féin Benches would be full, as would those of the Alliance Party and the Opposition. However, because it is about what happens in this country and about our farmers and our cattle, the Chamber is empty. That is an indictment of Members' priorities.
I will give way once and no more.
Thank you. I want to make progress, but I will come back to that point in a moment. I will not give way any further.
The arrogance and tone-deafness of Alliance politicians is in contrast to our having the best farmers in the world. Diane Abbott — Members may be surprised to learn that I am not an Abbott fan — said that politicians have a job that is:
"clean, indoor work, no heavy lifting."
That is the polar opposite of the task that is faced by our farmers, who are out in all weathers, facing uncertainties and raw, physical danger. When I was in the Police Service, I used to go through the occurrences in the morning, and I recall how many farmers were injured or, sadly, on occasion, killed in the line of providing food for not only this country but our entire nation. They produce enough protein to feed 10 million people. We have the best farmers, and they deserve support. What did they get today? Nothing. Whether Members agree with the motion, the Alliance Party and its Minister did not even have the decency to listen to the representatives of farmers across the country. Farmers feel unsupported, over-regulated and not listened to. They feel that there was a catastrophic failure of judgement in the Fivemiletown slaughter. Anyone hearing about the Fivemiletown slaughter would know immediately that it was a catastrophically dangerous operation. I know a little bit about firearms. The first time that one of those cows heard the crack of a rifle, there would have been mass panic. There would then have been moving targets running around, being shot at by people with rifles. If those rounds had missed, they would have travelled for miles. Shooting at moving targets without a solid backdrop, with rounds that would travel for a mile and a half should they miss, was the height of dangerousness. It was a public safety crisis, let alone inhumane treatment of cattle. What was the reaction, however? It was a bit like Minister Long's reaction to the catastrophic failures that led to a killer's being on the run. It was to pull up the drawbridge and say, "Nothing to see here. There are no issues". There are issues, however. The Agriculture Minister's response to Fivemiletown was to denigrate the Ulster Farmers' Union, which represents farmers the length and breadth of this country from both sides of our community. That was outrageous and tone-deaf. Alliance seems to have no sense of the rural community. That is why our farmers believe that we have an Environment Minister but not an Agriculture Minister. When we look at Alliance's response to the issues, we see a party that has failed the basic test of competence. It has failed our victims and our farmers. What, however, I find most troubling in a democracy is those empty Benches. I know in my heart that there are farmers who have different constitutional aspirations from mine. Who speaks for them? Nobody. The Opposition have become the Father Ted of Oppositions. They say, "Down with them, but, careful now, we'll not take any action", almost in defence of the Minister. Come on. The leader of the Opposition should provide the scrutiny that we need. A lot of Members have spoken, and a lot more may wish to speak after me, so I will conclude. What happened in Fivemiletown was a catastrophe, inhumane and a risk to human beings. The response was tone-deaf, but it sums up the ineptitude and arrogance that has crept into the Alliance Party. I am glad to support the motion and to support our farmers.

742 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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