Mr. Gerry Carlile:

Turning to Senator Currie, the language we use in this process is important and needs to be sensitive. The key is democracy. If a state is to be built on the principle of consent, then one must be prepared to ask the people if they are happy with the status quo. If one continually kicks that question far into the future, then the existence of the state has no credibility because the people who live there have not been asked whether they want it. Planning and preparation are key, but this is all grounded in the Good Friday Agreement and democracy.