Graham
Your quaint expression of “free speech me arse” reminds me of a local who spoke out one night in a small pub against the thuggery and law breaking going on in the name of Republicanism.! Three weeks later they got him as he made his way home from the Meath village. They used broken bottles Graham and he needed five operations to keep him alive. He hasn’t walked since.
Don’t come on this site with your quaint expressions when you support Sinn Fein completely without any criticism.
You clearly know what free speech would cost you!

@paddy what makes you think im a sinn fein supporter? have you ever heard me saying that? where did that incident you described take place & what is the background to it.if what you say is true & the guy was smashed up for his opinion then the people who done it are thugs.whats your point?

Rodgers, are you suggesting the whips will be meting out the same treatment?

Hogan is definitely gone at the next election. His taxes will also be rolled back when a new government wins. We should be taxing the rich instead of pillaging the Irish people.

Agree with the sentiment, Joe, and I hope you’re right.

Ryan

If I recall correctly the term ” not another red cent” was made by a front bench spokesperson but was never mainstream Policy or a part of the Manifesto put to the people at the Election or any part of the Programme for Government agreed between Labour and Fine Gael when the electorate decides they didn’t want either Party but a mix of both in Government.
The constant attack on Government over that statement in the manner you and other make is dishonest and deceitful and comes not from you but a political Party. This makes your contribution doubly dishonest.

FG/Labour/FF should all be consigned to the dustbin of history. Remember Gilmore’s accusations of being economic traitors? We didn’t realize that FG/Labour just wanted their turn to sell our country out.

Paddy
I couldn’t care less what you think!

Paddy Rodgers
This will help you recall !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LTCT7QIeP8

Eileen my little star

You are welcome Ryan O’N . :) :)

Hear hear.

Could that be classed as an ethnic minority, being a Hypocrite?

thats what party whips are for.get into line boy or else.free speech me arse.

Being a Member of a Political Party means that you give up the right to speak out against the Party and invariably when one does they give up their membership. Simples.

So if you’re a TD, you just have to be a Yes man. Ridiculous system!

Celtic Lady

Could you imagine having a Government at the moment that included the ULA . It wouldn’t last five minutes before they were tearing each others throats out. Say what you want about the larger Parties but the advantage of discipline means that Policy tends to remain Policy and be implemented when they are in Government. The current opposition are a positive disgrace at the moment.Sacrificing the right to speak out gives us some chance of stability.
Could you also imagine a worse nightmare than a Cabinet that included Wallace Higgins Daly and the Turf Cutter Flanagan. You would need to put Ross in there to make it look respectable and still we would be the laughing stock of Europe.

Yes I could, one that included Kenny, Hogan, Shatter, Noonan, O’Reilly, Gilmore, Rabbitte and Howlin. Now that’s a nightmare cabinet.

Yeah Paddy look at the towering intellectuals we have presented to Europe in the past. CJH, Bertie “canary pants” Ahern, Cowen and assorted ministers. TBH I doubt the inclusion of the ULA or even SF compared to that list of the good and the great would make Europe laugh any louder then they have in the past. Wallace, Higgins, Daly & Flanagan. Can I offer you James “stroke” Reilly, Philpot Hogan, Brendan “3.5 million” Howlin & Michael Ring. I won’t even bother mentioning Enda “I’ll not have a defaulter stamp on my forehead” Kenny and Eamon “Frankfurts way or Labours way” Gilmore.

Regarding the right to speak out if those in power or members of parties in power are afraid or prevented from speaking out against what they consider wrong or unjust then democracy in Ireland is in a darker place then I thought.

I don’t remember FG promoting the fact that they would turn into a continuity FF in the run up to election, it wasn’t in the infamous 5 point plan. I presume people like myself who did vote FG, based their votes on the fact that they said NOT ANOTHER RED CENT. What a huge wasted opportunity for them to actually deliver their pre election promises which IMHO were achievable and a chance for a change in the political landscape. However I’m like other voters who are utterly disgusted at a wasted vote!

In reality, few enough people actively wanted to vote FG in, their main aim was to vote FF out. That we have a FG/Lab government is a highly unfortunate side-effect of that.

The Labour tail seems to be wagging the FG dog. Howlin will make sure the bad boys are put on the bold step for stepping out of line. Whatever I think about the issue, it’s no harm to see a few TDs who aren’t mindless sheep. Labour seem to be calling all the shoots which isn’t what people voted for in the last election. Nor did people vote for more and more cuts to families who are already struggling to just put food on the table and pay the bills.

I voted for them and I am so angry that I did. It is the lies and arrogance that gets me. How ignorant they are of all the suffering they have imposed after promising ”not another cent”.

What’s the point in having TDs if they can’t have an opinion ? This is exactly why the country is up the shit.

It’s seem to me (regardless of the party involved) you are only allowed to have an opinion when it follows the party line……

david isnt voting an opinion as well? correct me if im wrong.

David
My understanding is that if you speak out against the Party publicly as opposed to criticism at the Parliamentary level you could be expelled . I certainly know that has happened previously in other Parties.

David if you keep that up Enda will set Phil on you or maybe even Paddy.

Una duce, una voce. Remember those days?

Graham

You have stated that Sinn Fein is the Party you will vote for at the next election

@paddy i think if you seen my comments i advocate a change to the current system.a direct democracy with the powers of recall when a politician isnt keeping their promises & doing their duty.its a million miles away from party politics but having said that there is more i agree with in sf policies than any other party.im pretty much done with voting as it dosent change the real power structure behind the curtain.

Is David Higgins growing a spine and speaking out in favor of speaking out and
having individual opinions within the party ? If you can call 8 being individual !