Leinsterfans.com Election Poll

[simplythebest]

is the moan no.2 in labour?

If she's not, she certainly does a very good impression of being so. Ruari and Pat seem to be much more in the background.

[the spoofer]

Vinny B really rippin these lefties a new one

Watching Primetime tonight confirmed to me that I cant vote SF or Labour. Any party that puts Joan Bruton "out front" hasn't a clue. She is downright ignorant.

Prime Time last night was like a creche.
Miriam O'Callaghan is utterly useless at chairing these sorts of debates. I still haven't got a clue what the policies of FF and Labour are.
At least Varadkar gave some answers. However, he kept saying how FG and Labour agreed on certain issues.
Everyone knows the two will go into coalition together if they need to yet they keep denying it.
His statements last night merely confirmed what the dogs in the street know.
Burton was, yet again, an embarrassment. She should consider joining SF - her interrupting and shouting down of other speakers sits very well with their style. Her apparent cluelessness would also be a factor in her favour.

So theres more than one O'Callaghan performing poorly!. She was really awful and then had the nerve to complain at the end that the politicans were talking over each other when she clearly did not try to control Burton and O'Caoilin (sp?). Burton is the whole package though in terms of putting people off voting Labour. Clueless and ignorant.

[Oldschool]

Sadly some people will still vote for those who can fix their potholes and provide a fast track passport renewal service

The only 2 options for me are FF or FG and at the moment FG ain't doing themselves any favours with the bitching and moaning at Labour. Its quite scary how FG and Labour are making a balls of their respective campaigns - not a great sample of how they'd run the country!

If they can get what Healy-Rae and Lowery got, why not. Sometimes it's better to have an independent than a Government Minister, because then your local area sees some improvements as part of the buy out. The Celtic tiger bye passed some constituncies coz the Government thought they had safe seats. The 3-4 independents all propping up the Government, initially got deals. Gregory did the same in Dublin Central. Put Bertie's nose so far out of joint, he gave the constituency f%~k all except a big durty metal pole, during his terms as Tee-shock.

The insatiable "Metal Micky" you mean.

[Leinsterman]

Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Féin have launched their plans for the economy if they get elected into Government in the General Election.

Fine Gael said it has the plans to create tens of thousands of jobs in the economy over the next five years.

No direct tax hikes on jobs or enterprise, increasing competitiveness and the sale of State assets all form part of the plan.

The lower rate of VAT would be cut, but the higher rate would go up by 1% from next year - a plan Fianna Fáil said would hurt economic growth.

Labour is calling for an even split between tax increases and spending cuts as part of a €7bn adjustment plan to reduce the national deficit to 4.8% by 2014.

Unveiling its fiscal strategy, the party said budgets must be based on "surgery not butchery" to allow the economy room to recover.

Sinn Féin has launched a €7bn, 10-point plan for job creation.

The party's vice president and General Election candidate for Dublin Central, Mary-Lou McDonald said the priority for any incoming Government has to be job creation and retention.

Sinn Féin said it would transfer €7bn from the National Pension Reserve Fund for its stimulus package.

They said the money should be used over the next three and a half years to create jobs in the agri-food sector, through the construction of infrastructure and by assisting small businesses.

Sinn Féin is proposing that 100 primary healthcare centres be built along with 125 schools and 100 creches.


Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/part ... z1CtiP7U14

[Leinsterman]

Labour's executive summary:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
While Ireland has serious problems, we also have real economic advantages.
Labour believes that the cuts proposed by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael over the next three years pose an unacceptable risk to jobs and growth. Labour believes it is essential that the right pro-jobs policies are in place over the coming years.
To safeguard Ireland's future economic and employment growth Labour's believes it is essential to:
- Re-negotiate the EU/IMF deal, extending its terms by a year to 2016
- Make savings in public spending and eliminate waste
- Introduce a fair tax system
FORWARD THINKING
- Labour is seeking a mandate in this election to re-negotiate the EU/IMF deal to achieve fair and realistic terms for the Irish people.
- Labour proposes a €7bn adjustment between 2012-2014 to allow room for jobs and recovery.
- Labour will reduce the deficit to 4.8% of GDP by 2014 and to below 3% of GDP by no later than 2016.
- Labour will target a €500m Jobs Fund on a range of job creation and training initiatives
- Labour will set up a Strategic Investment Bank in two phases: It will initially invest money from the National Pension Reserve Fund in infrastructure projects to boost growth. Then when market conditions normalise, it will develop into a functioning bank that takes deposits and raises long term financing.
- Labour will draw up 7 year National Development Plan to incorporate the funding that will be available from various sources, including Labour's Strategic Investment Bank.
SAVING PUBLIC MONEY
- Labour will carry out a Comprehensive Spending Review and Waste Audit of all spending programmes to achieve €4bn in savings. That includes clamping down on welfare fraud, tackling long-term unemployment & driving down healthcare costs
- Labour will make savings in the public sector pay bill through a reduction in numbers of 18,000 over the next three years (savings included within the €4bn.
- Labour will reduce Ministerial salaries and cap public sector pay.
- Labour will reduce the number of paid chairs of Oireachtas Committees
- Labour will abolish the Oireachtas allowance paid to Ministers who have constituency offices staffed by civil servants
- Labour will ensure that Ministerial pensions and severance packages are set by an independent body, such as the Comptroller and Auditor General.
FAIRER TAXES
Income Taxes
- Labour will introduce a fair tax structure and seek to re-negotiate the EU/IMF deal to achieve this objective.
- Labour will carry out a review of the Universal Social Charge to identify the families that have been hardest hit, and will reform the tax accordingly (using €200m raised through other changes in the USC and capital taxes).
- Labour will not increase income taxes on earnings of less than €100,000 and will instead extend the 10% USC rate to include all income over €100,000 (raising €106m).
- Labour will ensure that people earning over €250,000 must comply with a Minimum Effective Tax Rate of 30%. (No estimated yield available)
Other Taxes
- During the 1990s Labour in Government introduced the 12.5% corporation profits tax rate, and we will insist that it remains in place.
- Labour favours the introduction of new progressive structures for Capital Taxes such as CAT and CGT. (Raising €236m)
- Labour will increase the carbon tax to €25 per tonne and offset €40m to fund fuel poverty measures (raising a net €180m).
- Labour will insist on action being taking to deal with the scandal of tax exiles, and we will further strengthen revenue action to reduce tax-evasion (raising €100m).
- Labour is proposing a 1% increase in the standard rate of VAT that will raise €310m in a full year.
- Labour accepts the need for a site value charge but does not believe it would be possible to introduce one before 2014. As an interim measure, Labour will increase the second homes tax from €200 to €500 to yield €95m.
- The composition of the adjustment should be fair and balanced. Our policy proposals will yield equal amounts in revenue and expenditure savings, net of priority expenditure measures.
- The macro-economic impact of the adjustment should be limited to €7.1bn, including the carry forward of the Budget 2011 measures.

I'll pick through this in a while.

[Leinsterman]

First bit that jumps out at me is the increase in Carbon Tax.
Increasing it to €25 per ton will raise these tax receipts from approximately €400m per annum to €650 per annum, yet they will only use €40m to alleviate fuel poverty.
Not very many people seem to grasp the whole concept of fuel poverty. If people can’t afford energy they can’t afford it. Raising the total cost of it and then subsidizing people is a ridiculous concept.
As Richard Tol has pointed out: “If the aim is to alleviate fuel poverty, then you should raise incomes and reduces energy prices.”

[Broken Wing]

Labour's executive summary:

FAIRER TAXES (?)
- Labour accepts the need for a site value charge but does not believe it would be possible to introduce one before 2014. As an interim measure, Labour will increase the second homes tax from €200 to €500 to yield €95m.

Well I'm not voting for that.

[sheepshagger]

A lot of what Labour have said is very wishy washy, for example 'we'll review wastage in the sytem' but what exactly does that mean ?

[Broken Wing]

A lot of what Labour have said is very wishy washy, for example 'we'll review wastage in the sytem' but what exactly does that mean ?

They'll set up a committee to look into how departments and state bodies are wasting money. Sort of An Bord Snip Nua Nua. This committee will report back and then people will object to the proposed cuts in their departments and some minor cuts will go through while state board appointees (party alickadoos and union reps if they follow FF's example) live it up and government departments still pay millions to consultants at the expense of the tax payer.

[Leinsterman]

A lot of what Labour have said is very wishy washy, for example 'we'll review wastage in the sytem' but what exactly does that mean ?

They're also going to lash €500m into a job-creation fund.
That isn't going to create very many jobs.
Oh and the "adjustment" is going to be reduced, so we'll need to borrow more money, thus increasing the national debt.

Labour will draw up 7 year National Development Plan to incorporate the funding that will be available from various sources, including Labour's Strategic Investment Bank

Can they not draw it up now so we can see if it's worth voting for?

[Broken Wing]

They're also going to lash €500m into a job-creation fund.
That isn't going to create very many jobs.

Nonsense. Tens of party loyalists will be employed in the management of this fund.

[Leinsterman]

They're also going to lash €500m into a job-creation fund.
That isn't going to create very many jobs.

Nonsense. Tens of party loyalists will be employed in the management of this fund.

[rathgarblue]

Let me just say up front I won't be voting for Labour. The risk of Joan da moan being minister for finance is too big to take. It would be like offering John Kelly a Leinster contract.

[Leinster Exile]

A lot of what Labour have said is very wishy washy, for example 'we'll review wastage in the sytem' but what exactly does that mean ?

Same as it did with UK Labour

[the spoofer]

May be some of the political parties are on to something. Hammer those horrible landlords by increasing the "second home " tax, get rid of any Tax reliefs and reduce mortgage interest relief while rents are falling through the floor will mean less investors meaning less horrible landlords meaning less available properties to rent.

Less supply, more demand will result in higher rents. Higher rents will eventually result in people beginning to buy again and the whole bubble cycle can start all over. Genius!

Only one small problem. They will have to pay for the properties with turnips as none of the banks will lend to them unless they are Garda or teachers.

[fourthirtythree]

May be some of the political parties are on to something. Hammer those horrible landlords by increasing the "second home " tax, get rid of any Tax reliefs and reduce mortgage interest relief while rents are falling through the floor will mean less investors meaning less horrible landlords meaning less available properties to rent.

Less supply, more demand will result in higher rents. Higher rents will eventually result in people beginning to buy again and the whole bubble cycle can start all over. Genius!

Only one small problem. They will have to pay for the properties with turnips as none of the banks will lend to them unless they are Garda or teachers.

You know something? That was the precise argument FF used to start the bubble back in the early 00s. It was genius then, and it still is.

[All the way back logue]

Had a visit from a Shane Ross canvasser last night - very surprised to hear the limited agenda he is setting out - no view whatsoever on income taxes and public spending (bar shake up of various quangos). He wants to be the ethical voice of the dail.

But why vote for someone who will have little or no power? He doesn't strike me as someone who will be looking after his constituency in a Jackie Healy or a Michael Lowry fashion either.

[Terraceman]

My feeling is that if FG had a dynamic leader, an overall majority might not have been outside the bounds of possibility. I can't believe FF are polling so strong, (and this seems consistant with the poll in todays Irish Times).

Think they will rue the chance to get rid of Inda last summer. For a guy not even in office yet he is incredibly unpopular!!

[jezzer]

Would normally go for FG as Brian Hayes is in our constituency and he's a good guy, but have chosen Labour as I'm a bit spooked by FG's plans for 30,000 redundancies in the public sector (being one myself). Will have to talk to Hayes about it but the plan at the moment is to vote Labour first to take the heat out of the FG surge. FF can spend some quality time in Opposition as far as I'm concerned - too long in Government. The rest of the candidates I wouldn't be bothered voting for.

No offence, but surely if you're good at your job you'll be fine. I don't want to be simplistic about it, but the days of permanent full-time employment in the public sector are over.

We can't afford the public sector we have - the money just isn't there. If you're good, you'll be in a much fitter, leaner and more productive public sector which actually has money to spend on things other than salaries and overhead. I appreciate that on the surface it might look like turkeys voting for Xmas, but reform that includes downscaling (most of which will be voluntary anyway) is inevitable.

Labour are going to fudge the whole public sector discussion and we are headed for monumental debt. Simply saying you're going to rework the IMF deal but do nothing about the source of the cost is flagrant mismanagement of the country's hard-won taxes. Labour's solution? More tax.

I'm voting on one platform. I have a big wishlist of what I'd like, but my main concern is that I'm voting for public servants and not political dynasties/Civil War/party before country/ gravytrain candidates. I want my politicians to be there because they want Ireland to be a better place.

That's why FF couldn't possibly be a consideration. Their blow-with-the-wind, live-in-the-now attitude to policy shows me that none of their main candidates got into the party for any other reason than to be in the great Fianna Fail. The country is a distant second.

The Greens got a harsh lesson in being the junior coalition partner. They tried to push through too many big Green projects instead of lots of little wins. They were a bit too idealistic on their own proposals and too pragmatic on FFs. Should maybe have been the other way around. They compromised themselves and they weren't taken seriously enough by a struggling FF. But they have ideals. They're in it because they care about Ireland and not about themselves.

We need that now.

FG and the Greens for me.

[johng]

We need that now.

FG and the Greens for me.

Look Out!
Leinsterman will be after you with his anti yoghurt knitting ray gun!