Single issue candidates

martic

I raised this topic last night in a different thread but unfortunately the thread went way off topic and was rightly closed by the Moderators.While I accept every resident of Ireland has the democratic right to stand for election I don't see what these candidates can offer on the broader issues ie finance, education etc if elected to the Dail. Our country is in a mess and we need strong and informed people that can handle all the needs of running a country to get us out of it.Political reform is needed and one of these should be candidates have to meet some kind of criteria before they can be nominated for election and in my opinion single issue candidates unless they have something other to offer that will benefit our country should be restricted to local government until the see if political life is for them.

iPlop

martic wrote: »

I raised this topic last night in a different thread but unfortunately the thread went way off topic and was rightly closed by the Moderators.While I accept every resident of Ireland has the democratic right to stand for election I don't see what these candidates can offer on the broader issues ie finance, education etc if elected to the Dail. Our country is in a mess and we need strong and informed people that can handle all the needs of running a country to get us out of it.Political reform is needed and one of these should be candidates have to meet some kind of criteria before they can be nominated for election and in my opinion single issue candidates unless they have something other to offer that will benefit our country should be restricted to local government until the see if political life is for them.

To be honest I think any minister elected to a post should be an expert in the said field.When George Lee joined Fine Gael I honestly thought here's a guy that knows what he's talking about and he wants to fix the economy.Sadly he found out after 9 months that it's all red tape

For the last nine months I've done my best to have an influence on that, but I have to confess that I have virtually no influence no input whatsoever.

He said the decision had been difficult, but that despite his best efforts, he had had virtually no influence on shaping Fine Gael's economic policies.

It was a shame he left a senior economist like him could have been good for the country regardless of the party

Hannibal

I always felt George Lee was been used as a celebrity candidate by FG. But I dont think single issue candidates serve a purpose in the national interests by trying to be elected. Certain independents who back and have backed the government seemed to have held the country to ransom at times just for their support

iPlop

Dotsey wrote: »

I always felt George Lee was been used as a celebrity candidate by FG. But I dont think single issue candidates serve a purpose in the national interests by trying to be elected. Certain independents who back and have backed the government seemed to have held the country to ransom at times just for their support

That was the problem and that's all it amounted to.

Maj Malfunction

What is needed is political reform. Single issue candidates shouldn't for many good reasons have a place in a modern politics. Parish politics has the country in a mess. I cannot understand why these TD's can hold the country to ransom on important issues just so a weak and inept government can cling to power.

Political reform? Not much chance! Asking politicians to put themselves out of a job and a nice fat pension? Time to go to Starbucks!

OhNoYouDidn't

Sink The Banana wrote: »

To be honest I think any minister elected to a post should be an expert in the said field.When George Lee joined Fine Gael I honestly thought here's a guy that knows what he's talking about and he wants to fix the economy.Sadly he found out after 9 months that it's all red tape

Nice story, shame it has nothing to do with the reasons he left FG....

Sink The Banana wrote: »

It was a shame he left a senior economist like him could have been good for the country regardless of the party

Was he a 'senior economist'?

Richard Bruton's qualifications far outstrip George Lee's.

But as for the broader debate. I don't vote for single issue candidates, and would think long and hard about an independent, but banning them outright? Not sure about that drastic step.

InchicoreDude

Richard Bruton's qualifications far outstrip George Lee's.

In what way? I am not being clever but I dont know the full CV of either - How is Richard Bruton more qualified?

iPlop

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

Nice story, shame it has nothing to do with the reasons he left FG....




Was he a 'senior economist'?

Richard Bruton's qualifications far outstrip George Lee's.

But as for the broader debate. I don't vote for single issue candidates, and would think long and hard about an independent, but banning them outright? Not sure about that drastic step.

Lee joined the civil service as an executive officer in the Central Statistics Office.[3] Two years later he started at University College Dublin where he studied economics under academics such as Brendan Walsh and Peter Neary.
Prior to his move into broadcasting, he lectured in NUI, Galway and then worked as a journalist with The Sunday Business Post. Lee was also a Senior Economist at Riada Stockbrokers. He also worked as Treasury Economist with FTI[7] and as a research economist with the Central Bank of Ireland.[3]

source