Libertas leaflet?

[ibis]

From The Examiner - letter from Declan Ganley.

Barry Walsh mistakenly suggests that Libertas intends to use its resources to distribute a copy of the Lisbon Treaty to every household in Ireland (Letters, March 19).

It seems his skill at reading our announcements equates to his skill at reading (or not) the Lisbon Treaty. The task of distributing the Lisbon text and Yes and No arguments is the responsibility of the Government and the Referendum Commission.

However, in the event that the Government does not fulfils its duty to the Irish people in this respect, Libertas has committed to distributing a leaflet outlining the Yes and No arguments.

Clearly I was also under the same incorrect impression...so the much-vaunted leaflet is actually only going to happen if the Referendum Commission doesn't send something out - which as far as I've heard they're committed to doing a couple of weeks before the referendum date. Interesting.

Reading the original Libertas press release, you can see that such a construction could indeed be put on what they said:

"Libertas President Declan Ganley will this morning announce that the organisation will fund an information leaflet for every home in the country to replace the leaflet that would ordinarily have been circulated by the state-funded referendum commission."

[Kate P]

Under the Referendum Act 1998 the Commission initially had the role of setting out the arguments for and against referendum proposals, having regard to submissions received from the public. Since the passing of the Referendum Act 2001 the Commission no longer has a statutory function in relation to putting the arguments for and against referendum proposals. The 2001 Act also removed from the Commission the statutory function of fostering and promoting debate or discussion on referendum proposals.

The current primary role of the Referendum Commission is to explain the subject matter of referendum proposals, to promote public awareness of the referendum and to encourage the electorate to vote at the poll.

from http://www.refcom.ie/RefCom/refcomwebsi ... endocument

Any idea what it means in practical terms to 'explain the subject matter of referendum proposals' in the light of very contradictory interpretations of those proposals and no remit to put forward the pros and cons?

[qtman]

Under the Referendum Act 1998 the Commission initially had the role of setting out the arguments for and against referendum proposals, having regard to submissions received from the public. Since the passing of the Referendum Act 2001 the Commission no longer has a statutory function in relation to putting the arguments for and against referendum proposals. The 2001 Act also removed from the Commission the statutory function of fostering and promoting debate or discussion on referendum proposals.

The current primary role of the Referendum Commission is to explain the subject matter of referendum proposals, to promote public awareness of the referendum and to encourage the electorate to vote at the poll.

from http://www.refcom.ie/RefCom/refcomwebsi ... endocument

Any idea what it means in practical terms to 'explain the subject matter of referendum proposals' in the light of very contradictory interpretations of those proposals and no remit to put forward the pros and cons?

I think the challenge of issuing information that would not attract biased was one of the reasons JG didn't want the RC to get involved in this.

On a completely separate tack, does Barry Walsh do anything other than write hubristic letters to national newspapers?

[FutureTaoiseach]

My understanding of this was that the leaflet campaign was dependent on the referendum commission not sending out a leaflet.

[PaintingMedium]

Yeah, it seems pretty clear when they use the word "replace". It says so in your original post. So you should read these things more carefully. It was probably a tactic to ensure the government sent out the document, and threaten to send out their leaflet if the Government failed to do so.

[A_man_about_a_dog]

My understanding of this was that the leaflet campaign was dependent on the referendum commission not sending out a leaflet.

Mine too. Thats why I understood Libertas included the following wording in the original press release: "Libertas President Declan Ganley will this morning announce that the organisation will fund an information leaflet for every home in the country to replace the leaflet that would ordinarily have been circulated by the state-funded referendum commission."

No?

[CookieMonster]

My understanding of this was that the leaflet campaign was dependent on the referendum commission not sending out a leaflet.

Mine too. Thats why I understood Libertas included the following wording in the original press release: "Libertas President Declan Ganley will this morning announce that the organisation will fund an information leaflet for every home in the country to replace the leaflet that would ordinarily have been circulated by the state-funded referendum commission."

No?

Mine too. It's not like it's highly complex statement open to varied interpretation.

[lostexpectation]

a leaflet but not a full version of the treaty,he definitely didn't say that, its a strange way of saying maybe he meant replace as in to replace the current void in the delay in setting up the commission.

[ibis]

Yeah, it seems pretty clear when they use the word "replace". It says so in your original post. So you should read these things more carefully. It was probably a tactic to ensure the government sent out the document, and threaten to send out their leaflet if the Government failed to do so.

Yes, it does. Ganley's letter follows on from another letter to the Examiner where the writer was under the impression that Libertas would be sending out the leaflet regardless.

I have to say that I'm delighted that no-one here was under any wrong impression, and that no-one feels that any other impression was ever given, even if it doesn't look like it from the manyand various/earlier/ discussions (in which many of you were involved!) and Ganley's various media appearances.

[joemomma]

I think the challenge of issuing information that would not attract biased was one of the reasons JG didn't want the RC to get involved in this.

I don't think JG gets to decide what the RC do or don't get involved in: they act independently under the terms of reference contained in the 2001 act.