Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Alasdair Morgan) SNP

The next item of business is a debate on motion S3M-7427, in the name of Jim Mather, on the alternative vote referendum and 2011 Scottish Parliament election...

The Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism (Jim Mather) SNP

This is our first debate on electoral matters since I took portfolio responsibility for elections. It comes at a time when we are a mere six months away from...

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD) LD

Does the minister regard the American system, in which people vote for Presidents, members of Congress and everything down to dog-catchers on the same day, a...

Jim Mather SNP

There was a time when the American electoral system might have been held up as a good example here, but I am afraid that those days have gone.There is preced...

David McLetchie (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Con) Con

In an ideal world, there would of course be no coincidence in the dates for holding elections to our Parliaments or councils or for the conduct of referenda....

Jim Mather SNP

Is the member saying that an ideal world would mean no clash of dates?

David McLetchie Con

I said that, in an ideal world, it would be possible to timetable different dates. However, I also pointed out that this is not an ideal or perfect world, an...

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab) Lab

Will the member take an intervention?

David McLetchie Con

No. I want to make some progress.Let us be clear that it was always possible to have dates that coincided, even when not by deliberate design: on many occasi...

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP) SNP

Will the member give way?

David McLetchie Con

No, thank you.I know that £17 million is small beer in the grand scheme of the gargantuan debts and deficits that were left behind by the Labour Government b...

Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP) SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

David McLetchie Con

No—I am in my last minute.

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

The member has time if he wishes.

David McLetchie Con

Do I? Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. By all means, then, I will take an intervention.

Maureen Watt SNP

Will the member acknowledge that the Electoral Commission said:“The rules on how the referendum will be conducted must be clear from at least six months in a...

David McLetchie Con

The member might want to get picky about a few dates here and there, but I do not really think that it will be too difficult, even for an SNP brain, to work ...

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD) LD

The Scottish Liberal Democrats support the decision to hold a fairer vote referendum on the same day as the Scottish parliamentary elections. Holding the two...

Jim Mather SNP

Will the member take an intervention?Margaret Curran rose—

Mike Rumbles LD

I ask members to let me get started—we do not normally intervene in the first minute of a speech.I hope that everyone in the chamber will think that saving t...

Margaret Curran Lab

Will the member give way?

Mike Rumbles LD

Oh, go on.

Margaret Curran Lab

I am so grateful to the member for taking my intervention.On the respect agenda, if the member’s arguments are so strong, surely he agrees that it was incumb...

Mike Rumbles LD

I think that the so-called respect agenda is interesting and I will address it in more detail in just a minute.Despite the misgivings of both the SNP and the...

Brian Adam SNP

Will the member give way?

Mike Rumbles LD

I have already given way.

Brian Adam SNP

Once.

Mike Rumbles LD

I give way to Brian Adam.

Brian Adam SNP

I am grateful to the member for giving way a second time.Does the member agree that it is not just casting the votes on the day that is important, but the de...

Mike Rumbles LD

Are Brian Adam and his SNP colleagues really so lacking in confidence in their ability to articulate their views to the Scottish people? That is about the re...