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MICHEÁL MARTIN has appealed to the grassroots supporters of Fianna Fáil in his opening address to the party’s Ard Fheis in the RDS this evening, calling for their help in reforming the party.
“Our members feel let down by people carrying Fianna Fáil’s banner who failed to live up to the standards of integrity which our founders set,” he said, receiving huge applause from the audience.
“Let me say loud and clear, your message has been heard. I am determined that the people who belong to Fianna Fáil and support Fianna Fáil will never again be let down by low standards.”
Mahon
Martin outlined the three main areas of focus for party reforms – acting on the findings of the Mahon Tribunal, improving party transparency, and tackling fundraising issues.
“When the final report of the Mahon Tribunal is published we will act without fear or favour against anyone who is shown to have abused their position in Fianna Fáil or in elected office,” he said this evening. “Action will be swift and comprehensive.”
On the subject of fundraising, Martin said that Fianna Fáil members are demanding that the party acts to show that its fundraising “will be completely above suspicion”.
The Ard Fheis marks the start of a two-month dialogue period within which party members are invited to make their contribution to the party’s policies for the next year. Martin said a national policy conference will be held separately to the Ard Fheis to focus on those policy proposals.
Martin speaking to the press before addressing the party this evening. (Image: Christine Bohan/TheJournal.ie)
‘People won’t be fooled again’
Martin criticised the Fine Gael-Labour coalition for putting politics first and being “obsessed with the media management of every issue”. “People won’t be fooled again,” Martin said of future elections. “The next time a party campaigns on ‘not another red cent’ the public will be waiting for them.”
He said that he believes Ireland can get a “significant reduction” on the promissory notes, but that the government had mishandled negotiations on the issue.
Martin also criticised the proposed abolition of the Seanad as a “major step backward” and said it should play a “particular role in scrutinising European legislation”:
We believe that the Seanad has a role to play and should be reformed rather than abolished. It should be smaller and more efficient, salaries should be reduced. Our proposal includes directly elected Senators along with specialised areas being represented.
Tributes
The party leader said that the party continues to miss the late Brian Lenihan on economic and other issues. “It is right that we acknowledge him this weekend together with the great Lenihan family tradition of service to this country.”
Martin also paid tribute to his party leader predecessor and former Taoiseach Brian Cowen, saying he had “made an enormous contribution to this country and party.”
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Why do all you journos claim Trumps claims about election security are unfounded? There are plenty of stories in media including NYT and there have been arrests of both Dems and Republican.
@Stephen Brady: Because they are unfounded.
Trump claims that it’s possible for people to submit multiple votes that aren’t theirs. That it’s possible for a foreign entity to “stuff ballot boxes”. That’s complete nonsense.
There are numerous ways States try to ensure that people only vote once and if voting by mail, your signature has to match. And you only get one.
Even if you sent in a mail in ballot and showed up on the day, only one get’s counted.
Anyone caught voting twice is risking a criminal conviction.
The real danger is things like what the Republican Party are doing n California, using illegal ballot collection boxes. Therefore risking peoples votes not being counted.
That and voter intimidation, trying to reduce the efficiency of the postal service, voter ID and reducing the numbers of places where people can actually vote leading to long wait times. Up to 11 hours in some places (weirdly, that’s usually in democratic leaning areas in Republican States. )
Voter suppression is what is really going on here and there is only one party pushing that.
@Stephen Brady: because trump is a ch4rl4tan and everything he says is a lie.
@Tricia G: they are not unfounded. People dont get locked up for unfounded allegations. When you are found guilty it isn’t unfounded. Also the dems wanted to remove security features like signature verification and postmarks but yeah sure they dont intend to cheat. They are the good guys. Dream on
@Tricia G: you also do know that a lot of states use digital machines for voting. Of course they can be rigged too.
@Stephen Brady: Funny how Trump hasn’t said a word about the digital voting machines……. He’s only slated the mail in ballots.
And that really can’t be rigged.
And if you’d bothered to read the story you yourself posted you’d have seen the following (which supports my point) “But some election experts said it was somewhat misleading to use the Paterson scandal as a cudgel to discredit mail-in voting, noting that election fraud is extremely rare and, as the case in New Jersey shows, is usually easy to detect.”
And the rest of the article REALLY shows why voting fraud is a non-issue….. Did you even bother to read it?!
@Stephen Brady: “dems wanted to remove security features like signature verification and postmarks” – Okay, you’re gonna need to provide evidence of that because I think that is a flat out lie.
@Stephen Brady: fun fact: caught, arrested and a new election happening. If the same logic was applied to guns Republicans would lose their minds. Some people might misuse them so let’s get rid of them has never really been a republican stance.
There were a lot of voters that never thought Donald Trump could beat Hillary Clinton and they got a real shock when he won the election. Those people came out in 2018 for the mid-terms and they’re going to vote, come hell or highwater, in this Presidential Campaign.
Trump scrapped in the last time. There has never been a US electorate more eager to vote. A high turnout bodes badly not just for Trump but for many Republican’s like Lindsey Graham. He never believed for a minute his race would be so close.
Never say never, Trump could still pull out a miracle but there is a very motivated electorate trying to prevent it.
@Tricia G: I’ve always thought that the potential of a democrat victory has been undermined. They won a landslide in the 2018. There’s definitely some type of silent majority.
@Tricia G: trump could still win, but I wouldn’t be surprised at a blue Tsunami. The dems will win a few extra senate seats that they had not anticipated to win.
It’s going to be a Trump win.
Creepy Joe has dementia and with all the new stories about his Corrupt and depraved son Hunter being silenced by big tech companies the Democrats can’t hide it anymore.
People are fed up with the Democrats lies.
@Leo The Liar: more worrying than Hunters behaviour is his dad’s. Remember Clinton was impeached for lying about his affair not having the affair. Biden has already lied about his knowledge of Hunters business dealings. Could this alone be enough? Who knows? There is a lot more to come on this.
@Leo The Liar: Trump wont win. The virus will win. Trump has made a bags of it and whoever is in the opposition was going to win.
@Leo The Liar: I guess all those people that are so fed up with the Dems stayed home in 2018 during the midterms.
And don’t answer Polling questions that show the Dems having a large upswing.
And the literally millions of people that have voted already in the US as democrats…….
I’m seeing a flaw in your logic.
@Leo The Liar: living up to your name there kid.
@Leo The Liar: “Creepy Joe.” Surprised that you aren’t a bot.
@Leo The Liar: you clearly don’t have a clue mate. It’s all over bar the shouting.
A lot of the states don’t actually start counting the postal ballots until the polls on election day are closed themselves. This will probably lead to Trump declaring “victory” on the night and claim “massive fraud” when the postal vote puts Biden back in the lead.
Are Trump and Biden the best America has to offer for leadership ?
Really? The USA is in real trouble.
They are not voting for Biden as he is so uninspiring, they are voting for anyone but Trump.
@Batster: he’s not exactly Obama but its the change of administration that’s required. Bidens Town Hall was excellent last night
Trump 4 more years
In Florida a Democratic lady said that they are being hurt as the Republicans are calling them socialists and Cubans who live there remember that they lost everything to socialists in Cuba.
@Tom Mullally: If all the Republicans have got is name calling then even they know they are going to lose.
If Biden does win, and its a big if, it won’t be on merit
At this stage I hope Trump does lose and then maybe the Irish Media will concentrate on our own inept and self serving power hungry politicians, especially #LeoTheLeak.
have your say