Omagh Town UUP Councillor Ross Hussey recently attended the Annual General Meeting of the Limavady Branch of the Ulster Unionist Party as Guest speaker. Councillor Hussey was welcomed by the Chairman, Councillor Edwin Stevenson and asked to address the members present. During his speech Councillor Hussey covered various aspects of local politics including the reduction in funding for the Territorial Army despite the valiant work of the part time soldiers stationed throughout the province and the UK, the current debacle in the eductaion system where Catriona Ruane is determined to push through her education reforms in relation to the selection process despite the DUP proudly proclaiming on their website that ’they have saved selection’, and the Review of Public Administration. The final comments in relation to policing and justice and particulary justice included the following comments ’Following recent terror attacks throughout the province the stock answer from Sinn Fein has been that these terrorists have no ’mandate’ for such actions. How can any act that terrorises any section of the community be justified - mandated or not? In various parts of Europe there were clear acts of ethnic cleansing when the Soviet Union broke up - were these justified as the ’majority’ had a ’mandate’? Cleary acts of terrorism are immoral, illegal and totally to be condemned outright by any right thinking person. Sinn Fein want to see Policing and Justice restored to the Northern Ireland Executive and at a recent local democracy event a Sinn Fein Councillor who sits with me on Omagh District Council highlighted the fact that the main plank they were following was the devolution of Justice powers. If justice powers were devolved and these terror groupings nominate persons to represent them and have them elected and continue their ’armed struggle’ and political path do their acts then become ’justified’ as they have a ’mandate’? Justice not only has to be ’done’ it has ’to be seen to be done’ and anyone who appears before the courts as a result of acts of terrorism should face the ultimate sanction that can be imposed by a British Court (and an Irish Court for that matter) of life imprisonment. Will Sinn Fein fall in behind a tough stance by the NI Assembly on acts of terror? Will they stand back and attempt to pull the strings of a ’puppet’ Justice Minister by suggesting that minimum sentences of a few years with 50% remission should be granted for these anarchists? Clearly we have not yet reached the cross roads where justice can be handed to an Assembly where acts of terror can be justified as ’mandated’. Further attacks on the PSNI indicate a repeat of the tried and practiced schemes of the IRA. The RIC were attacked in the early part of the 20th Century, the RUC attacked in the 70’s for over 30 years and now the PSNI are the target of Republican terrorists. We need a strong willed and well protected police force, the full time Reserve issue should be resolved as a matter or urgency and I repeat a call I made many years ago, those members of the full time Reserve that wish to transfer into the regular force be allowed to transfer immediately and continue their service until the completion of their service - without the continual fear that a three year ’axe’ may fall on them again when their contracts are due for review - experienced officers are what the police need and there are over 400 officers available that served this country well during the period of the ’Troubles’ - they ’havent gone away you know’ and we need to remember that fact as we face the future with the threat of future attacks hanging over the entire community.’