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Fine Gael Punchestown Tent

  • 22-04-2012 12:28pm
    #1
    Sierra Oscar
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 8,601 CMod ✭✭✭✭


    It looks like FG are set to continue their high-flying fund-raising events - the party is familiar with running behind closed doors golf fund-raisers, and now it emerges that they will be hoisting a tent at the Punchestown races.

    FG to host another big fundraiser at the races
    HUNDREDS of Fine Gael supporters are set to attend another fundraising event at the end of the month, this time in a tent at the Punchestown Races.

    The event, attended regularly in recent years by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, will be held in a marquee known as the Fine Gael pavilion, with guests paying as much as €800-a-table to attend.


    On the topic of fund-raising, when do FG propose to bring forward their bill dealing with banning corporate donations? FG currently receive the most money (and traditionally have) from corporate entities yet the exact figures and donors remains a secret. FG have a conflict of interest in this regards it seems. FF have moved in the last year to outlaw corporate donations within the party - will FG follow suit?


Comments

  • #2
    Dirk Gently
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,784 ✭✭✭Dirk Gently


    Sierra Oscar wrote: »
    . FF have moved in the last year to outlaw corporate donations within the party
    only because it's not worth bribing them these days.
    Sierra Oscar wrote: »
    - will FG follow suit?
    unlikely, it's worth bribing the party in power.


  • #3
    Sierra Oscar
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 8,601 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sierra Oscar


    Dirk Gently wrote: »
    only because it's not worth bribing them these days.


    unlikely, it's worth bribing the party in power.

    If we legislate for it though, it would level the playing field and accordingly should in theory be acceptable to all political parties.


  • #4
    Dirk Gently
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,784 ✭✭✭Dirk Gently


    Sierra Oscar wrote: »
    If we legislate for it though, it would level the playing field and accordingly should in theory be acceptable to all political parties.

    Thats great, pity the party in power never legislates for it though, like FF never did until they were in opposition and decided they needed to re-invent themselves as a reforming party. I'm sure it had nothing to do with a lack of donations flooding in once they became a small opposition party. FG wont cut their links with big business and labour wont cut their links with unions, just like ff wouldn't cut their links with developers when they were in power.

    FF had plenty of opportunity to legislate considering they more or less ran the state for most of its history. They didn't though, which makes calling FG out on the punchestown tent little hollow.

    I'm strongly in favour of removing corporate donations btw, I just have an issue with thinly disguised FF propaganda to take the moral high ground on the issue.


  • #5
    Sierra Oscar
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 8,601 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sierra Oscar


    Dirk Gently wrote: »
    Thats great, pity the party in power never legislates for it though, like FF never did until they were in opposition and decided they needed to re-invent themselves as a reforming party. I'm sure it had nothing to do with a lack of donations flooding in once they became a small opposition party. FG wont cut their links with big business and labour wont cut their links with unions, just like ff wouldn't cut their links with developers when they were in power.

    Well to be fair the issue was on the programme for government and was due to be brought in during the lifetime of the government - admittedly because the Greens pushed for it. FF published a bill on the matter in the first month of the new Dail (the groundwork had all been done prior to that) but the government rejected it out of hand.

    I agree with you though, it is an issue considering no party in government puts the matter top of the priority list. It seems though that FG are intent on continuing the big fund-raising events. All political parties should pull together and ensure an ethical and transparent political donation system is implemented, as it is in everyones interest in the long run.


  • #6
    Chucky the tree
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,341 ✭✭✭✭Chucky the tree


    Sierra Oscar wrote: »
    Well to be fair the issue was on the programme for government and was due to be brought in during the lifetime of the government - admittedly because the Greens pushed for it. FF published a bill on the matter in the first month of the new Dail (the groundwork had all been done prior to that) but the government rejected it out of hand.



    But FF only did it because they knew they would not be back in Government and so did all the businesses/developers/etc so their donations would have plummeted already. FF only did it because they didn't want all that money going to Fine Gael rather then having any interest in fairness.


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  • #7
    Sierra Oscar
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 8,601 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sierra Oscar


    Chucky the tree wrote: »
    But FF only did it because they knew they would not be back in Government and so did all the businesses/developers/etc so their donations would have plummeted already. FF only did it because they didn't want all that money going to Fine Gael rather then having any interest in fairness.

    The corporate donations plan was incorporated into the programme for government a few years before GE 11.

    In anycase, if we take what you say to be true, does that excuse either Fine Gael or Labour from doing the right thing now?


  • #8
    Chucky the tree
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,341 ✭✭✭✭Chucky the tree


    Sierra Oscar wrote: »
    The corporate donations plan was incorporated into the programme for government a few years before GE 11.

    In anycase, if we take what you say to be true, does that excuse either Fine Gael or Labour from doing the right thing now?


    Why was it only until FG and labour were in Government did FF actually make any attempt to push it through? The fact it was in their "plans" but ignored says it all. I don't really have a problem with corporate donations or see how they can be stopped tbh anyway.


  • #9
    Sierra Oscar
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 8,601 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sierra Oscar


    Chucky the tree wrote: »
    I don't really have a problem with corporate donations or see how they can be stopped tbh anyway.

    So you are OK with the setup of the donation system as it is? Did you read the Moriarty Report? More importantly, did you read the recommendations that the Moriarty Report made in regards corporate donations - which seek to prevent the emergence of corruption within our political system?

    The FF bill sought to implement the recommendations made by the Moriarty Report. The government dismissed the bill off hand, but over a year on we are still waiting for this government to even commit to an actual time frame for implementing the recommendations.

    If you think the set-up we have at the moment is OK then you are clearly misinformed in regards the entire debate surrounding corporate donations - unless of course you do not accept the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal.


  • #10
    Chucky the tree
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,341 ✭✭✭✭Chucky the tree


    Sierra Oscar wrote: »
    So you are OK with the setup of the donation system as it is? Did you read the Moriarty Report? More importantly, did you read the recommendations that the Moriarty Report made in regards corporate donations - which seek to prevent the emergence of corruption within our political system?

    The FF bill sought to implement the recommendations made by the Moriarty Report. The government dismissed the bill off hand, but over a year on we are still waiting for this government to even commit to an actual time frame for implementing the recommendations.

    If you think the set-up we have at the moment is OK then you are clearly misinformed in regards the entire debate surrounding corporate donations - unless of course you do not accept the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal.


    No I haven't read the Moriarty report on it or the recommendations they made. It's still on the to-do list.


  • #11
    Sierra Oscar
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 8,601 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sierra Oscar


    Chucky the tree wrote: »
    No I haven't read the Moriarty report on it or the recommendations they made. It's still on the to-do list.

    Fair enough, admittedly it is no easy task getting through it. :)


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  • #12
    ednwireland
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭ednwireland


    FG have been waiting 14 years to cash in, its payback time

    My weather

    https://www.ecowitt.net/home/share?authorize=96CT1F



  • #13
    invinciblePRSTV
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,017 ✭✭✭invinciblePRSTV


    Chucky the tree wrote: »
    Sierra Oscar wrote: »
    Well to be fair the issue was on the programme for government and was due to be brought in during the lifetime of the government - admittedly because the Greens pushed for it. FF published a bill on the matter in the first month of the new Dail (the groundwork had all been done prior to that) but the government rejected it out of hand.



    But FF only did it because they knew they would not be back in Government and so did all the businesses/developers/etc so their donations would have plummeted already. FF only did it because they didn't want all that money going to Fine Gael rather then having any interest in fairness.


    Incorrect. FF only agreed to implementing a ban on corporate donations as it was insisted upon by the GP in the 2007 PFG negotiations.

    Unsurprisingly, it wasn't implemented. And if i were a betting man it won't be introduced by this government either, or a watered-down weak and ineffective version will be implemented.

    Why will this be the case? because FG, like FF, have a long and storied history of soliciting for corporate donations. And as we know, neither of those parties would never, ever let those making these donations have undue influence on policy formation. Oh no, not at all.


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