Rating the New government

horusd

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Despite its massive majority, I don't think the FG/LAB coalition has been particularly impressive or forthright since its election. The whole leaky mess over the budget and the piddling, laughable changes to massive pensions yesterday being cases in point.

Not a shinner, but Pearce Doherty is a very competent politician. He ripped apart the pension cuts for top earners yesterday, and rightly so.

Overall, this government has a massive majority and should lead with radical reform, but it has singularly failed to live up to the need for real, transformative leadership. It has been far too cautious and slip-shod, it certainly isn't a government that inspires confidence, or seems to have a clear plan.
 
Totally agree, horusd. This is their first year in govt, and they have a huge majority. This is the chance to make some real changes. Unpopular changes for the good of the country. If they don't do it now, they will never do it. Looks like we are about to waste yet another good crises.
 
Disappointed with them so far.

They have a great chance to make changes that will endear them to the general, hard pressed public, but seem to be refusing to make these changes.

They are coming across as more of the same I'm afraid, and if they continue like this, I can see people, especially the young, looking for another alternative to vote for, and thats why I see SF making big strides over the next few elections. Not a SF voter btw either. But at least they might break the cycle of the rich looking after the rich, and the rest of us getting poorer.
 
Disappointed with them so far.

They have a great chance to make changes that will endear them to the general, hard pressed public, but seem to be refusing to make these changes.

They are coming across as more of the same I'm afraid, and if they continue like this, I can see people, especially the young, looking for another alternative to vote for, and thats why I see SF making big strides over the next few elections. Not a SF voter btw either. But at least they might break the cycle of the rich looking after the rich, and the rest of us getting poorer.

Sad to see that despite the serious pre-election pledges that helped them win the election, that they cynically have dropped them. I thought the days of lying to the electorate prior to an election may have been over. But by their actions and especially their inactions obviously not so.

I know very many, never mind my age group, young folk who were motivated to vote and now see FG & Labour as being exactly the same as FF & Greens. I expect both parties to be dumped in the next election if they keep attacking the poorest and the weakest in society for budget cutbacks
 
Despite its massive majority, I don't think the FG/LAB coalition has been particularly impressive or forthright since its election.
I think it's too early to write off the new Government. FF left a terrible mess. They can't but be more competent and less corrupt than the last shower. They might be the least worst option for the 2011 - 2016 period (which pains me to say as I have little time for Labour and dislike quite a number of FG ministers).
 
4/10 is the rating Id give...

I dont think they are doing a whole lot wrong (lets face it the world is gone up the left and there isnt a lot Ireland can do) so the reason they aint getting 10/10 is because of all the rubbish pre election promises they made.
 
I think it's way too early to judge them yet. I am a bit disappointed that they haven't made more radical changes given the massive majority given to them. But at the same time given we had 14 years of FF led governments I'm prepared to give them more than 8 months before I make a judgement on them!
 
History is repeating itself. Haughey made a balls of the economy and Garrett came in to clean it up and ended up more unpopular than Haughey had ever been. Now it's Enda's turn
 
you should have changed the heading on your post to READ SPOT THE DIFFERENCE and the fact of the matter there is none. I spoke with quite a few politicians before the last election and all I got was " we know politics is broke and we intend to fix it, we will end cronyism, reduce no of TD's, junior miisters, be more open with the public, get rid of quangos and on and on it went" I said ok I'll vote for that. I dont think they were in for one day when they started backtracking and all of the above has been broken. This shower is no different from the last, the only difference is that a lot of the promises made will never be forgotten and come next election it will be payback big time.

I can give you a succinct example of how callous this present group are and it relates to the obscene pensions that are currently been paid to the last group. This was a good opportunity to send a signal but .... as gerry said they farted a mouse. Bertie will be 80 euro a week worse off ie pension still 148k!! Big deal. This was a gesture ie 2 fingers to the rest of us and we know why. Its not in their interest to act with a bit of decency.

in a word = USELESS and always will be
 
I expect both parties to be dumped in the next election if they keep attacking the poorest and the weakest in society for budget cutbacks
That same old rubbish again.

I think it's too early to write off the new Government. FF left a terrible mess. They can't but be more competent and less corrupt than the last shower. They might be the least worst option for the 2011 - 2016 period (which pains me to say as I have little time for Labour and dislike quite a number of FG ministers).
I agree; it took FF over a decade to mess things up this badly so it's unreasonable to expect these guys to fix things in a year. That said a government with Labour in it will never really make hard choices.

History is repeating itself. Haughey made a balls of the economy and Garrett came in to clean it up and ended up more unpopular than Haughey had ever been. Now it's Enda's turn
Yes but do remember that economically Garrett was an utter disaster as Taoiseach. It was the later FF/Labour government (CJ and Dick) that started to sort things out.
 
I know this is open to interpretation to an extent but the conventional wisdom back then was that the 80s slump was halted by the Haughey/McSharry minority govt of 87/89 supported by Alan Dukes Tallaght Strategy.
Back to the OP's question, I'd prefer if FG had opted for a decisive minority govt rather than the lumbering govt that we have now
 
you should have changed the heading on your post to READ SPOT THE DIFFERENCE and the fact of the matter there is none. I spoke with quite a few politicians before the last election and all I got was " we know politics is broke and we intend to fix it, we will end cronyism, reduce no of TD's, junior miisters, be more open with the public, get rid of quangos and on and on it went" I said ok I'll vote for that. I dont think they were in for one day when they started backtracking and all of the above has been broken. This shower is no different from the last, the only difference is that a lot of the promises made will never be forgotten and come next election it will be payback big time.

So by that logic this means that FG/Lab will be punished next election just as FF were.

And I'm guessing FF won't have been forgiven by 2016, so who does that leave to have a go?
 
And I'm guessing FF won't have been forgiven by 2016,

I'm pretty sure they will be

The election posters write themselves

Fianna Fáil and Jack Lynch abolished domestic rates, Fine Gael want to tax your home :eek:

And that's just for starters
 
Well this is right up there with Padraic Flynn for pure crassness and stupidity

http://www.independent.ie/national-...ay-its-not-all-bad-says-varadkar-2950954.html

There are people struggling to pay bills. Paying for a holiday really isn't top of their concerns. I am going to ignore the ignorance of the 'incomes will stay the same' so we should all be grateful comment.

Amazing how despite everything, politicians are still living in an ivory tower.

As for the Government in general, I am very disappointed with some people that I expected more of. O'Reilly has shown himself to be nothing but hot air like I always suspected. Varadker has done nothing but is still capable of shooting himself in the foot. Richard Bruton is wasted where he is. Alan Shatter is a huge let down in Justice. Noonon has been solid to be fair in Finance and Kenny has been better than I expected. Gilmore is in a nothing position in Foreign Affairs and I can't see what he brings as Tainaiste. Joan Burton is actually showing potential in a difficult job for a labour minister. Ruairi Quinn is someone I used to respect until he decided to prostitute himself for votes before the election and then turned his back on the pledges he made claiming the state of the public finances when the dog on the street knew the state of the public finances.
 
O'Reilly has shown himself to be nothing but hot air like I always suspected. Varadker has done nothing but is still capable of shooting himself in the foot. Richard Bruton is wasted where he is. Alan Shatter is a huge let down in Justice. Noonon has been solid to be fair in Finance and Kenny has been better than I expected. Gilmore is in a nothing position in Foreign Affairs and I can't see what he brings as Tainaiste. Joan Burton is actually showing potential in a difficult job for a labour minister. Ruairi Quinn is someone I used to respect until he decided to prostitute himself for votes before the election and then turned his back on the pledges he made claiming the state of the public finances when the dog on the street knew the state of the public finances.
Hard to disagree with any of that. I'm still hopeful that O'Reilly will come good, but I sincerely hope that the Minister of Smugness and Arrogance loses his seat at the next election.
Sounds like newspaper spin on a speech given at a Tourism event by the Tourism minister, to me...
To me too. A nothing story and a poor article . . it even starts off "TRANSPORT Minister Leo Varadkar . ." no mention that he's also Minister for Tourism. A lot of journalists seem to knock out nothing stories and money-for-old-rope polemics.
 
History is repeating itself. Haughey made a balls of the economy and Garrett came in to clean it up and ended up more unpopular than Haughey had ever been. Now it's Enda's turn
That's because Garrett looked like a sound skin (which he was) and appeared to be an intellectual (which he was) but he was completely useless at making decisions. People had hope and saw that hope dashed as decisions weren't made and the mess he came to clean up never got cleaned up. So a lot like this government, in many ways.

But yes, 8 months is too short a period in which to make judgement -and yet they have made a very poor start in terms of tough decisions and seem to be bowing to the usual cadre of vested interests.
 
I don't think people will forgive FF as quickly as 2016.
The one party that will make gains is SF.

It might not happen next time around, but at some stage I believe we will see a FG/FF government and a left opposition of LAB/SF/Left Alliance party.
 
They should have taken a leaf out of Latvia's book, which is now back growing strong:

"The prime minister has won two elections, despite the tough measures, and the economy is growing. Straightaway he embarked on the toughest budget cuts in Europe: ministries were cut by a third, the number of government-run agencies was halved, and public sector wages were slashed by an average of 25%. Some teachers even saw their wages fall by 70%.At the time, the measures were controversial. Some economists accused Mr Dombrovskis of strangling the economy, destroying any chance of future growth.But the prime minister told the BBC that Latvia's economy is now growing again, thanks to those harsh budget cuts."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15891342
 
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