Time all candidates came clean?

jbkenn

In light of current revelations perhaps it's time that all prospective candidates for the Presidency publish the following
Their PPS Numbers last 3 digits and when issued, to prove they have a PPS number
Their P60's for the last 10 years, to prove they are compliant taxpayers
Their Disability/Social Welfare payments
Their remuneration/expenses/pensions from political office
Their remuneration from State Boards/Quango's
Their relationship, if any, with criminals/criminal organisations
Their interventions on behalf of criminals/convicted persons

Feel free to add suggestions, it should make for interesting reading

mikemac

Ah, like Richard Nixon's Checkers speech
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkers_speech

Bannasidhe

jbkenn wrote: »

In light of current revelations perhaps it's time that all prospective candidates for the Presidency publish the following
Their PPS Numbers last 3 digits and when issued, to prove they have a PPS number
Their P60's for the last 10 years, to prove they are compliant taxpayers
Their Disability/Social Welfare payments
Their remuneration/expenses/pensions from political office
Their remuneration from State Boards/Quango's
Their relationship, if any, with criminals/criminal organisations
Their interventions on behalf of criminals/convicted persons

Feel free to add suggestions, it should make for interesting reading

Monies earned from consultancies and name of organisation/company.

foggy_lad

All candidates come clean?!? There is not enough soap in tesco's or pressure washers in B&Q to get any of them clean except maybe Michael D.

KeithAFC

One would end up in a mental institution and the other in jail.

Liam Byrne

What kind of an almighty screwed-up country do we have if the only standard we have for president is that they are clean ?

Do we really expect that little from our politicians these days ?

Bannasidhe

Liam Byrne wrote: »

What kind of an almighty screwed-up country do we have if the only standard we have for president is that they are clean ?

Do we really expect that little from our politicians these days ?

I wouldn't see it as the only standard - more the base line standard.

Liam Byrne

Bannasidhe wrote: »

I wouldn't see it as the only standard - more the base line standard.

Yes, but that should be a given. Unfortunately, in this country, it's not.

Bannasidhe

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Yes, but that should be a given. Unfortunately, in this country, it's not.

Which is why we should lay down a few ground rules first.

A poster over in another thread suggested a 5 year residency and no criminal convictions in that time rule before a person can run for any public office.

I really like the idea of a residency rule - as for the convictions, I would prefer that a criminal conviction would ban result outright but I do understand that in certain cases - esp where people were release under the Good Friday Agreement - that this could be tricky.

I do think that any public figure who is convinced of a criminal offence during their term of office should immediately be impeached, forced to stand down and forfeit any pension/golden handshake rights.

Liam Byrne

Bannasidhe wrote: »

- as for the convictions, I would prefer that a criminal conviction would ban result outright but I do understand that in certain cases - esp where people were release under the Good Friday Agreement - that this could be tricky.

Why would it be tricky ? They committed crimes and were let free from prison in return for not committing more crimes; no-one guaranteed them the right to run for office.

Bannasidhe wrote: »

I do think that any public figure who is convinced of a criminal offence during their term of office should immediately be impeached, forced to stand down and forfeit any pension/golden handshake rights.

I would go a step further on this aspect, considering that Ahern & Callely & O'Dea - just three examples - were never convicted of any offence, and yet are completely unfit for office.

Given the unwillingness to even deal with their unethical-yet-vaguely-legal behaviour, I'm not sure how this should be phrased; but I do know that someone who follows the letter of the law without following the spirit of it - particularly in terms of expenses and shafting the state - should be immediately deemed unfit for office and stripped of all pension entitlements.

Bannasidhe

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Why would it be tricky ? They committed crimes and were let free from prison in return for not committing more crimes; no-one guaranteed them the right to run for office.

I think it would end up in a whole messy and divisive debate about the difference between a 'criminal' conviction and a 'political' conviction.
If there was a blanket ban accusations would be laid that it was preventing former Republican (and possibly Unionist - stranger things have happened) 'political' prisoners from engaging in the political process and charges could be laid (with some validity) that paramilitaries were encouraged to abandon violence in favour of the ballot box but were now being denied access to that same ballot box.

Liam Byrne

Bannasidhe wrote: »

...... charges could be laid (with some validity) that paramilitaries were encouraged to abandon violence in favour of the ballot box but were now being denied access to that same ballot box.

No, with no validity whatsoever. Where did I say that they shouldn't be allowed to vote ?

Actions have consequences though - or at least should have - if you've murdered someone then you are not suitable to uphold a constitution that protects everyone's right to life. It's not exactly a biased or agenda-driven argument - just a statement of fact and common sense, really.

Wider Road

Liam Byrne wrote: »

No, with no validity whatsoever. Where did I say that they shouldn't be allowed to vote ?

Actions have consequences though - or at least should have - if you've murdered someone then you are not suitable to uphold a constitution that protects everyone's right to life. It's not exactly a biased or agenda-driven argument - just a statement of fact and common sense, really.

Who Murdered who?
All I know is that Brendan Lynch, husband of Kathleen Lynch & brother of Ciaran Lynch murdered Larry White.
Where does that leave Michael D?