Unionists have defeated a Sinn Féin motion supporting a single equality bill to bring together different legislation outlawing discrimination. The motion was defeated by 45 votes to 42 in a vote in the assembly. During Tuesday's debate nationalists backed wide-ranging anti-discrimination measures. But unionists, including the DUP's Gregory Campbell, criticised 'discrimination against Protestants' in police recruitment. Such 'discrimination' includes 50% of all new recruits coming from the Catholic community - a vital tool if Sinn Féin are expected to honour their cooperation with the PSNI.
But the Belfast Telegraph said that the First Minister's Office will press on with equality legislation despite unionists combining in the Assembly to defeat a Sinn Féin motion on the issue.
The DUP warned the Executive must 'tread carefully' on equality. The party's Upper Bann MLA David Simpson said that in the 10 years since 1996, there were 4,735 cases of reported religious discrimination but only 50 of the cases had been upheld. Despite this evidence of the pressing need for greater equality legislation from their own figures, the unionists voted against the motion with UUP chief whip David McNarry said his party had come with an open mind but had witnessed the kind of 'intemperate rhetoric' from Sinn Féin which it hoped was part of the past.
But Martin McGuinness said he intended to bring forward proposals for legislation, saying 'We need to send a signal to all that our future will be based on justice, equality and protection from discrimination.'
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