Sinn Féin: The Water Tax Party?

As mentioned earlier in my post about the assembly ministries, Sinn Féin’s South Antrim MLA Mitchel McLaughlin appears to have flown in the face of his party’s apparent opposition to water charges by claiming that people will pay the "legitimate cost" of running water to their houses.

On UTV news last night, McLaughlin said: "If we separate out the legacy cost and we set in front of people the legitimate cost of running a clean and healthy water supply to people’s houses, people are fair minded, they will pay that."

I think the problem lies in the fact that McLaughlin says that people will pay the cost of running the system- the fact is that we already pay for water, so this future cost McLaughlin speaks of is presumably on top of what we already fork out.

Following McLaughlin's comments, a row has erupted with the ‘We Won’t Pay Campaign’. Gary Mulcahy, secretary of the campaign passed censure on McLaughlin and Ian Paisley Jr. (for separate comments he made), saying: "Mitchell [sic] McLaughlin and Ian Paisley Jnr.’s comments are a slap in the face of everyone who voted for these parties after being told that they opposed water charges during the elections.

"The sheer brazenness of these politicians is staggering. Only a few weeks ago these parties claimed they were opposed to water charges but now they have the nerve to say that people will have to pay for the maintenance of our water and sewerage service through water charges. Why do they fail to mention that we already pay for water through the rates? Have the DUP and Sinn Féin all of a sudden contracted a mysterious case of collective amnesia?"

The We Won’t Pay Campaign added that "mass non-payment will teach these gangsters on the hill a lesson if they go ahead and introduce water charges. There is no support for this double-tax in working class communities across Northern Ireland. If they send bills to households they will be met with a mass boycott and the new Minister for Water Charges Conor Murphy will be left with egg on his face."

McLaughlin retorted by arguing: "Firstly politicians have no control over how television producers edit pre-recorded interviews but I have to say that even in the interview referred to by Mr Mulcahy at no time did I say that the Assembly would introduce water charges.

“Sinn Féin’s position is absolutely clear. We are opposed to people having to pay twice for any service. We have pointed out to the British government that we are already paying for water and sewage through the Regional rate. Sinn Féin will also lead the way in opposing any attempts to privatise our water service.

"Sinn Féin is adamant that the British government is responsible for the dire state of the water and sewage infrastructure because of their failure to invest money collected for this purpose through rates and they should provide the necessary finance to bring the system up to modern European standards.”

Mulcahy then responded to this response by saying: "In Mitchel McLaughlin’s reply he claims that Sinn Féin’s position is clear. In fact what he says is completely unclear. There is no firm commitment in his reply to abolish water charges completely.

"The simple question remains, will the new Sinn Féin minister issue any form of water bills or not? All we ask is a clear commitment that the entire water charges agenda will be fully scrapped.

"Until we get that commitment we can only go by Mitchell [sic] McLaughlin’s comment: 'If we separate out the legacy cost and we set in front of people the legitimate cost of running a clean and healthy water supply to people’s houses, people are fair minded, they will pay that.” In anybody’s language this means there will be bills delivered.'"

And so it goes on.

So is this another case of a Mitchel Mishap, or has Sinn Féin, having selected the Regional Development portfolio at Stormont, decided that consumers must fork out more for water in the future?