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John Bruton at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis in Dublin recently. Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland
Squabbles
Bruton says ministers should thrash out their differences at Cabinet table
Former taoiseach John Bruton has said that Ministers should work out their differences in secret at the Cabinet table.
8.52am, 26 Apr 2012
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FORMER TAOISEACH JOHN Bruton has said that government ministers should discuss their differences in the secrecy of the Cabinet room as opposed to publicly.
The former Fine Gael leader was speaking in the aftermath of the criticism of the government over the mixed messages that were given out over the household charge and water metering.
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In another case, the Social Protection Minister was criticised by one Fine Gael TD who asked had she a “government deathwish” while Ministers were heavily criticised for giving out misinformation about the cost for the imposition of water meters in homes.
Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Bruton said that he did not “see any merit at all” in ministers discussing their differences outside the Cabinet room when it could all be done in secrecy.
He said: “I think it is very important to recognise that anyone who is a member of the Cabinet is in a privileged position and they have an opportunity to express whatever is on their mind and to speak as frankly as they like in the secrecy of the Cabinet room.
That’s why we have Cabinet secrecy so that people can speak freely. I think that’s where differences should be thrashed out, around the Cabinet table or in private.
“I don’t see any merit at all in advertising different points of view outside the Cabinet room. I think that applies in coalition governments just as it applies in single party governments.”
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It saddens me to here him talk about beliefs and overcoming fears and to then realise that he went in to such a dark place to take his own life. His passion and hunger for life is so evident and its terrible that the world loses another earth angel like him. To be honest, it is the first time I have seen his face or knew the full story of who he is. The message I get from seeing the video and hearing about his life is that ‘one person can make a difference’ and that even when all the chips seem against you and you feel so low to look for the light in the dark, the silver lining of the cloud and to go forward. Courage of heart. Thanks Ruairi for enlightening me.
He sounds like he was an interesting guy.
He committed suicide just because he got a jail sentence? How long was he sentenced for? The Americans sentence their inmates for way too long. There’s non of this getting sentenced for 3 months and getting out after 2 days either.
They sentence, jail, pursue and kill such extraordinary and priceless individuals, and at the same time they breed millions of useless, stupid and mindless people. Democracy – one has a vote even if his IQ=20, and vote is what democracy looks for.
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