A really cold house
Stormont used to be called a "cold house" for Catholics. But there can be fewer assemblies any colder than the Nunavut Legislative Assembly, which governs the largest and newest territory of Canada.
The assembly governs the local Inuit people ( or if we are to be politically incorrect, the people who used to be known as Eskimos). Over the summer some intrepid Stormont officials made their way to Nunavut for a meeting of the Canadian Hansard Association.
Presumably the challenges of transcribing verbose politicians' words are much the same no matter what latitude you operate at. Perhaps the Nunavut clerks need thicker gloves. Dipping into their transcripts I think I've found one sentence from a legislator unlikely to be repeated at Stormont when Mr Mapsalak raised concerns about the increasing numbers of polar bears, a population which is "harvested by quite a few communities". "We are experiencing more invasions of polar bears into our community every year, and it is becoming a common
practice to have one or more defence kills in and around the community" Mr Mapsalak argues, and "we anticipate more defence kills since the population is growing."
I'm not sure what the nationalist/unionist take on polar bears is, although I can hazard a guess about what side of the argument the DUP's Jim Shannon might be on.
I'm 
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I was given a book for Christmas based on the QI program on BBC tv.
It says there's nothing wrong with the word "Eskimo", and referring to most Eskimos as Inuit is as offensive as referring to Canadians as American, or telling a Jock that Scotland is just the largest county in England.
I don't think Seal-Clubbers is allowed, though.
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Mark
JIM SHANNON: FOXES’ FRIEND
I think you may have gotten it wrong about Jim Shannon being pro Countryside Sports. The following is an extract from a recent speech by Jim in the Assembly.
“Hit wusnae sae lang sine at we met in this chammer pot an’ taaked aboot the ill daeins agin oor foxes an hoo needfu’ hit wus tae houl oantae es monie foxes es cud bae kep’. Well the situation bes the saime noo – gif hit isnae a baager hannlin- bit thair bes a bag differ. Instead o’ a “Chipperfield Circus ‘Semmelie” es yin member, wo couldnae hit a bull on the erse wae a bakeboard, cried hit in the las’ debate aboot this issue in Janwerry aa the tim’ o’ the “ Fossetts Circus ‘Semmelie, we ir noo a “Duffy’s Circus ‘Semmelie at bes fit tae maak a differ an’ pley a baag pairt no onie tae houl oantae oor foxes bit tae mak’ thaim betther.”
My knowledge of the Ulster-Scots language is limited but it seems clear to me that Jim is doing his best to protect foxes and I’m sure he would feel the same about Polar Bears.
Perhaps if Jim were to speak in English in Assembly debates it would avoid any future misinterpretation of his views, On second thoughts…………. perhaps not.
Susie
Carryduff
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