Do we need an Election Now?

[Zapatista]

What do ye think?

[his holiness nb]

Zaptista, a poll in which you campaign heavily for one answer in the first post is bound to be somewhat unreliable.

And your claims that the lisbon treaty and the budget proves they are out of touch with the people is a bit rich too considering you have been claiming the same since long before the lisbon treaty, indeed since before the last election.

You want the government out, and have done for years, we get it.

Not getting into an argument over this as I have no intentions of defending the government, I dont think they have a defense here in fact. But it may as well be Enda Kenny starting this thread.

[magpie seanie]

I actually think its a good question and I'm not sure what my answer is yet. I'd actually like to see FG have a go at this stage because I don't think they would have made the balls ups the FF have made recently. FF have gone stale in govt and need to be got out. Whether the timing is great for a change of govt has me wondering.

[rossie mad]

Agree with the goverment being out of touch with the ordinary person but in all honesty what is in opposition wont change the bad state we are in at the moment.any goverment which has had fine gael and labour in it the last twenty five years have time and again raised taxes signicantly higher and that makes us uncompetitive.by no means am i saying this government are brillant but with the way the world economic downturn is going id rather this government leading us than the other parties.

[Zapatista]

Zaptista, a poll in which you campaign heavily for one answer in the first post is bound to be somewhat unreliable.

Tis a common practice. I will allow a 10% margin of error

And your claims that the lisbon treaty and the budget proves they are out of touch with the people is a bit rich too considering you have been claiming the same since long before the lisbon treaty, indeed since before the last election.

I wasn't on the board before the last election. I can't say they were out of touch before the election as they were elected. I say they are now though.

You want the government out, and have done for years, we get it.

I want FF out. I make no apology for my dislike of FF.

Not getting into an argument over this as I have no intentions of defending the government, I dont think they have a defense here in fact. But it may as well be Enda Kenny starting this thread.

Mayos finest didn't agree with me (or the Irish peoples) on Lisbon.

[deiseach]

There's an old chestnut in journalism that if a controversial question is posed in a headline - e.g. 'Does the MMR vaccine cause autism?', or 'Is the world about to end on Wednesday?' (seen when that hadron collider thingy was about to be switched to try and replicate a black hole or whatever it was), the answer is always 'NO'. Swap 'headline' for 'thread title' and you have your answer.

Now, whether the Greens should leave . . . that's another question.

[Donagh]

If there was an election tomorrow FF would be back in power by Friday afternoon as nobody trusts the 'others' to do a decent job.

[his holiness nb]

Zap all I'm saying is that it was a loaded question.

If you want a true result to your poll, dont answer the question as you ask it.

I personally wouldnt be opposed to an election right now, but dont think there would be much change, with perhaps the exception of FF's government partners.

[deiseach]

If there was an election tomorrow FF would be back in power by Friday afternoon as nobody trusts the 'others' to do a decent job.

Mmm. I wouldn't be too sure about that. FF are on a razor's edge in a number of constituencies with respect to quotas. Brilliant vote management meant that they picked up that extra seat. A small drop in their vote would make mincemeat of the discipline necessary for such a strategy to work and carnage could ensue.

[Zapatista]

From breakingnews.ie

More than 1,200 people have turned out in Dublin for a Dáil protest against the Government's move to end the automatic medical-card entitlement for people over the age of 70.

The protest is taking despite yesterday's efforts to assuage anger over the controversial decision.

Pensioners are continuing to demand that the automatic entitlement be fully restored.

Many fear the Government's move will lead to erosion of the planned income thresholds in the coming years and could also pose a threat to their free travel passes, fuel allowances and TV licence entitlements

This Government has showed through it's latest two tests (the Lisbon Treaty and the Budget) that it is completely out of touch with the Irish people. The recent major failing by FF and partners and the clear voices made by the public through the protest and vote demands an election now. There is absolutely no way FF will ever voluntarily leave Government and so it is up to the greens to pull the plug and force an election. Do the right thing Mr Gormley.

Edited it.

Now do ye fancy getting into an arguement about it HHnb? Please  , I'll be terribley let down if ye don't.

[deiseach]

This Government has showed through it's latest two tests (the Lisbon Treaty and the Budget) that it is completely out of touch with the Irish people. The recent major failing by FF and partners and the clear voices made by the public through the protest and vote demands an election now. There is absolutely no way FF will ever voluntarily leave Government and so it is up to the greens to pull the plug and force an election. Do the right thing Mr Gormley.

Edited it.

Now do ye fancy getting into an arguement about it HHnb? Please  , I'll be terribley let down if ye don't.

What is there to argue about? There is no constitutional provision for an election in the event that the government becomes unpopular. Get the Greens and the Indies to join the Opposition in supporting a vote of no confidence and viola! you have an election (edit:and the President dissolves the Dáil). Anything else is just hot air.

[Billys Boots]

An election won't change the economic situation we find ourselves in.  An election is unlikely to change the people charged with getting us through a recession.  An election is unlikely to change the country's economic policies.  An election will cost money that we can ill afford, and will only facilitate irrelevant arguments while we need to be getting on with getting on with it.

[his holiness nb]

Now do ye fancy getting into an arguement about it HHnb? Please  , I'll be terribley let down if ye don't.

Eh, if you read my last post you will see I am not opposed to an election.

I was only trying to help you get an accurate response to your poll, as opposed to what you want to hear.

[rosnarun]

Now, whether the Greens should leave . . . that's another question

or make like a tree and stay

What People will be very slow to realise is the economic cuts hurt. and the biggest cuts have to come from where most money is spent .
and by far the major spendinf dept are health education and Scoail welfare so if you want to make any real savings it has to be done in these depts.
It may make you feel better if brian cowen's pay is cut 10% but the 25k or so that'll bring in isnt going to make much difference

[Gnevin]

We need a don't know option as FF have made a balls of it but the opposition is so bad