A Glenfaba and Peel MHK says public calls for a referendum on major wind turbine proposals are “understandable” and reflect a strong desire for meaningful democratic involvement in major national decisions.
Kate Lord‑Brennan MHK said many people want a direct say on the future of large scale infrastructure, and added that she hopes the island will one day have modern, workable referendum laws for big issues.
However, she explained that the Isle of Man does not currently have a constitutional or legislative framework for binding referendums on planning or infrastructure matters.
Referendum Not Possible
A previous attempt to update the law, which she supported through an amendment while in government, was rejected by the House of Keys.
Without those changes, she said, any referendum would still require a further decision by Tynwald or Government under existing legislation.
Because of this, Ms Lord-Brennan has tabled an amendment requiring Tynwald approval for nationally significant wind turbine developments, ensuring that decisions of this scale are made through open parliamentary scrutiny rather than solely by a department, regulatory process or the Council of Ministers.
She said the amendment is intended to provide the clearest and strongest democratic accountability mechanism currently available within the island’s representative system.
People will naturally hold differing views on the projects themselves, she added, which is why transparent political decision making remains essential.
