Should Kenny/Bruton make a State of the Nation address?

[Question R24U]

i wonder can posters discuss this idea on its merits? I doubt it though.
An opposition State of the Nation speech:
Why? 1.Because people do not appear to grasp how bad things are. If they did, talk of public sector strikes would be met with disgust.
2. Cowen cannot or will not.

What would they say?
1. We are in this mess not because ff policies have failed but because they have succeeded and elaborate briefly.
2. Now it is not the time for the blame game. But that time will come in June and next election, but not Lisbon.
3. What is the extent of the mess and what can we do? One person loses their job every minute, our national debt is doubling at a time when our personal debt is at its peak.we need cuts of ten billion in the next two years, taxes will have to rise, people will have to emigrate, social welfare will have to be cut and a real economic stimulus plan is needed yesterday. 4. Put simply 'we as a community are living way beyond our means' but unlike the last leader to issue those words, people know where my household budget comes from. We thought those dark days were behind us. We were wrong. But now is the time to makes things right.
5. How? A year's pay freeze for everyone, cuts of at least 10%for all earning over 100k, a temporary minimum wage cut to 8 euro, and an undertaking from all to avoid industrial action. I will forthwith resign my teaching post and call on others to do likewise. The savings from the fg pay cut will be used as a hardship fund, since we cannot trust the government to use it wisely.
6.The people being hurt are not the ones who got us into this mess, but we will deal with those who did through the ballot box and the courts, but for now we need a national effort for everyone to make up for the sins of the few.

[Christine Murray]

I don't think so, FG are already agitating to have Lisbon In April. It begins to look hysterical to be honest.

Calls for second Lisbon referendum in April - The Irish Times - Sun, Feb 15, 2009

[myk]

i wonder can posters discuss this idea on its merits? I doubt it though.
An opposition State of the Nation speech:
Why? 1.Because people do not appear to grasp how bad things are. If they did, talk of public sector strikes would be met with disgust.
2. Cowen cannot or will not.

What would they say?
1. We are in this mess not because ff policies have failed but because they have succeeded and elaborate briefly.
2. Now it is not the time for the blame game. But that time will come in June and next election, but not Lisbon.
3. What is the extent of the mess and what can we do? One person loses their job every minute, our national debt is doubling at a time when our personal debt is at its peak.we need cuts of ten billion in the next two years, taxes will have to rise, people will have to emigrate, social welfare will have to be cut and a real economic stimulus plan is needed yesterday. 4. Put simply 'we as a community are living way beyond our means' but unlike the last leader to issue those words, people know where my household budget comes from. We thought those dark days were behind us. We were wrong. But now is the time to makes things right.
5. How? A year's pay freeze for everyone, cuts of at least 10%for all earning over 100k, a temporary minimum wage cut to 8 euro, and an undertaking from all to avoid industrial action. I will forthwith resign my teaching post and call on others to do likewise. The savings from the fg pay cut will be used as a hardship fund, since we cannot trust the government to use it wisely.
6.The people being hurt are not the ones who got us into this mess, but we will deal with those who did through the ballot box and the courts, but for now we need a national effort for everyone to make up for the sins of the few.

what do you mean we are in this mess because FF policies succeeded?

btw Kenny resigned his teaching post some time ago, unlike a number of ministers and ministers of state...

[myk]

I don't think so, FG are already agitating to have Lisbon In April. It begins to look hysterical to be honest.

Calls for second Lisbon referendum in April - The Irish Times - Sun, Feb 15, 2009

1 FG MEP does not equal FG!

[Question R24U]

what do you mean we are in this mess because FF policies succeeded?

btw Kenny resigned his teaching post some time ago, unlike a number of ministers and ministers of state...

Thanks for that. The first line was delivered by him earlier this week. It is suitably vague but damning. Sorry i lumped the teaching post issue in, because i thought he was one of those keeping jobs from young teachers.

As to main point, i think things are so bad that Fine Gael need to force the government to act. By whatever means necessary.

[inspired]

i wonder can posters discuss this idea on its merits? I doubt it though.
An opposition State of the Nation speech:
Why? 1.Because people do not appear to grasp how bad things are. If they did, talk of public sector strikes would be met with disgust.
2. Cowen cannot or will not.

What would they say?
1. We are in this mess not because ff policies have failed but because they have succeeded and elaborate briefly.
2. Now it is not the time for the blame game. But that time will come in June and next election, but not Lisbon.
3. What is the extent of the mess and what can we do? One person loses their job every minute, our national debt is doubling at a time when our personal debt is at its peak.we need cuts of ten billion in the next two years, taxes will have to rise, people will have to emigrate, social welfare will have to be cut and a real economic stimulus plan is needed yesterday. 4. Put simply 'we as a community are living way beyond our means' but unlike the last leader to issue those words, people know where my household budget comes from. We thought those dark days were behind us. We were wrong. But now is the time to makes things right.
5. How? A year's pay freeze for everyone, cuts of at least 10%for all earning over 100k, a temporary minimum wage cut to 8 euro, and an undertaking from all to avoid industrial action. I will forthwith resign my teaching post and call on others to do likewise. The savings from the fg pay cut will be used as a hardship fund, since we cannot trust the government to use it wisely.
6.The people being hurt are not the ones who got us into this mess, but we will deal with those who did through the ballot box and the courts, but for now we need a national effort for everyone to make up for the sins of the few.

Clever media management (not common these days) by FF gave Cowen a live Six One opportunity to do a state of the nation address. The words were OK but the fiddling with the cuff links became a distraction. If Cowen did a state of the nation, the opposition would be entitled to a similar spot. By doing it on the Six One, FF denied Kenny his moment.

Go back to last July when Bruton published FG's Recovery through Reform analysis. It has become the bedrock for many political commentators' analysis of how we got into this mess and how we can start getting out of it.

The dilema for the opposition is that it cannot implement any proposal. Such is the general distrust of politicians that oppositions get little reward for recommending pain. Friday's opinion poll which showed the public sector, angry at the levy, move to Labour is a case in point. Because FG had identified the public sector pay bill as a problem, so they did not benefit from the antipathy to the levy.

FG are both playing a good political game. Together they have stripped 20 points off FF (or more accurately be in a position to receive 20 points from FF). What they now need to do is find more common ground (like universal health insurance) so that when this Gov finally give up and go to the country, there is a clear alternative available.

[kate1001]

If I was Fine Gael the last thing I'd be looking for now is a General election. Fianna Fail are digging a very big hole for themselves and if I was Enda Kenny or Richard Bruton I'd let this continue!!!!

[wombat]

Friday's opinion poll which showed the public sector, angry at the levy, move to Labour is a case in point. Because FG had identified the public sector pay bill as a problem, so they did not benefit from the antipathy to the levy.

FG are making a mistake in trying to appeal to public sector workers who will move to Labour in increasing numbers. It is quite logical that if you work for the state you should vote for the party who believe in expanding state control of our lives.
FG need to move closer to the German Christian Democrat approach which is basically conservative but with a commitment to helping those in society who need help - it would not exclude the possibility of joining Labour in govt. (as in Germany) but it would offer people a choice between high tax, high govt. spending and control of govt. spending with moderate taxes.

[myk]

If I was Fine Gael the last thing I'd be looking for now is a General election. Fianna Fail are digging a very big hole for themselves and if I was Enda Kenny or Richard Bruton I'd let this continue!!!!

that is a very narrow minded view.

of course FG should be seeking to change the government. there is no quick fix to Ireland's current problem, but as we have been seeing in the last 4-5 months, if government ministers make poor decisions they can make are problems much much worse. FF supported by the Greens and others are in danger of crippling this country for a generation.

Sure on a narrow political party point of view it may be better for some opposition parties to stay there for another couple of years, but that is certainly not the best thing for the country.

I would like to think that people are in politics because they believe that they and their policies can make the country a better place, not simply to climb the top of a greasy poll and stay there as long as possible taking the perks that go with the top jobs.

[White Horse]

If I was Fine Gael the last thing I'd be looking for now is a General election. Fianna Fail are digging a very big hole for themselves and if I was Enda Kenny or Richard Bruton I'd let this continue!!!!

Very short term thinking Kate.

It is practically certain that FG will have to clear up this mess. Letting FF and the Greens make matters worse for another 3 years will only make that task all the more difficult.