May 24 2007 / Get The Fianna Fáil/PD Administration Out!
Below are some questions which should be considered before you vote tomorrow.
Each person who reads this should give themselves an honest answer to these questions. I imagine that supporters of the FF/PD administration will not like to read this post, but perhaps they should ask themselves these questions as well.
Does Ireland wish to see Dick Roche, builder of the M3 and the would-be desecrator of our ancient monuments back in office?
Does Ireland wish to see Martin Cullen, the waster of millions on a flawed electronic voting system back in office?
Does Ireland really need Michael Martin back in, he who sat back in Department of Health meetings and cheerfully ignored the nursing home crisis?
Is it in the best interests if Ireland to see Mary Hanafin back in office, she who has denied adequate services and ABA therapy to autistic children?
Is it in the best interests of Ireland to have to admit that the Taoiseach takes cash from his friends and pays no tax until he's caught out?
Is it in the best interests of Ireland to have a government that guaranteed the Health Boards staff their jobs, then hired HSE bureacrats on top of them, THEN officially gave up on the notion of a public health service by calling in their friends in the construction industry to build private hospitals?
Does Ireland REALLY need Michael McDowell back in office, passing draconian legislation which horrifies criminal lawyers, alienates immigrants and allows the rapists of children to walk free because he wasn't pay attention to the side effects of what he legislated for?
Do you really want the wealthy supporters of Fianna Fáil and the PDs shrieking with delight on Friday when they realise their best friends are back in power? Friends such as Anthony O'Reilly of Independent News & Media?
If you believe Ireland does not need and should not have such a government in office, then you have to vote Labour first and Fine Gael second tomorrow.
May 22 2007 / PD Leader Has Made His Choice...Again
This is old news now of course, but in the interests of picking up where I left off, I feel I should comment on the PDs in relation to Bertiegate.
Michael McDowell really did reveal his true colours in the end. After threatening to pull out of the Government in 2006, he criticised the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern for accepting money from businessmen in 1993 and 1994 and called it "unethical" and "an error of judgement" and said that the money must be "repaid with interest". This statement was derided by the Opposition who correctly saw it as the determination of Michael McDowell deciding to keep Fianna Fáíl in power, in order that he himself could remain in power in his recently accquired role of Táinaiste.
As if this wasn't damaging enough for the PD's, a similar event occured in the early stages of this election. Yet again, we saw recent history repeat itself in the early days of the 2007 General Election campaign. When the Bertie gate scandal rear its head yet again, Michael McDowell once more threatened to pull out of Government. Yet again, he changed his mind after deciding that it would be better to keep Fianna Fáil in power and himself in power as Tánaiste.
For an individual who practically won his seat in the 2002 General Election by climbing a lamp-post to hang a poster reading "Single Party Government? NO Thanks!" written on it, McDowell has walked all over that statement. He has chosen twice within six months to keep Fianna Fáil in power despite glaring indications that there are still ethical problems within Fianna Fáil.
It is my view that on May 27th, the people of Ireland will tell Michael McDowell and his party, the Progressive Democrats that such behaviour is inexcusable - if one seat is retained by the party, Michael McDowell should be happy. If two seats are retained by the party, Michael McDowell should be profoundly greatful.