Lucinda Creighton: do you respect her or not?

Dostoevsky

Well, do you respect her for throwing away her cushy government position for what she believes in?

I'd never vote for her for a myriad of reasons which I don't want to get into here, but I do respect her. How about you?

Freddy Smelly

Indifferent

no she is was a politician. that supercedes all respect owed.

TheLastMohican

Indifferent

Being a politician she made a career move for further down the line.

seamus

Indifferent

No.

Politicians aren't elected to lead with their conscience. They're elected to represent the people who voted for them. Voting with your conscience is an abuse of that role.

On an issue this contentious, any conscientious politician would have made a reasonable attempt to find out what their constituents wanted and vote like that. If that went against their own conscience, then vote against yourself and step down.

Lisha

No

I do respect her. I don't agree with a lot of her views though.

She nailed her colours to the mast earlier in this debate. She said she would not vote in the bill as it stood.
She did not and as a result she has accepted the consequences.
She could have backed down and kept her job but she stood by her convictions
Whether or not I agree with her convictions is a totally seperate issue

vicwatson

Indifferent

She's an A1 class idiot IMO

TheLastMohican

Indifferent

seamus wrote: »

No.

Politicians aren't elected to lead with their conscience. They're elected to represent the people who voted for them. Voting with your conscience is an abuse of that role.

On an issue this contentious, any conscientious politician would have made a reasonable attempt to find out what their constituents wanted and vote like that. If that went against their own conscience, then vote against yourself and step down.

You've got it in one Seamus.

heybaby

Indifferent

Dostoevsky wrote: »

Well, do you respect her for throwing away her cushy government position for what she believes in?

I'd never vote for her for a myriad of reasons which I don't want to get into here, but I do respect her. How about you?

In a word NO.

She has stood her ground on a principle deeply personal to her own beliefs and ethical convictions, yes, but she has in essence suited herself in this one issue.

Where is the moral and ethical fortitude on other issues of principle? Special needs assistants? subsidising care for cancer sufferers ? Burning billionaire bondholders ? alcohol sponsorship in sport? hospital waiting lists ? increasing pupil teacher ratios ? the abject mess that is the HSE ? Her 180 degree turn on Enda Kenny as party leader ?

Her stance on the recent abortion bill is the only stance where she has remained true to her own 'principles', in every other regard by comparison she has all the hallmarks of a hypocrite. Let her fall on her own sword, she'll be forgotten quickly enough.

Might I add I have absolutely zero affiliation with any party or any independents.

Albert X

She is scum, The policies she has happily voted for the last 2.5 years have killed people by suicide

wexie

Indifferent

Dostoevsky wrote: »

Well, do you respect her for throwing away her cushy government position for what she believes in?

I'd never vote for her for a myriad of reasons which I don't want to get into here, but I do respect her. How about you?

Pretty bloody easy throwing away a cushy government job if you've a cushy pension to go to and, no doubt, lucrative speaking engagements etc. etc.

Other than that I agree with Seamus, well said.

bnt

I'm still lacking a clear statement, in her own words, of "what she believes in" and how it relates to the bill and her resignation. Her statement makes it sound like she resigned on a technicality, not because of some deeply-held belief. There was talk on another thread of it being due to religious beliefs, but she's not talking about them openly, as far as I know.

So I don't know what to think, except that I see her getting an easier and more lucrative job as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) out of this. I don't believe for a second that her actions were purely on principle: she's a politician. :rolleyes:

bleg

Indifferent

Irish politicians only vote with the conscience when it comes to issues of sexuality (and when it suits them politically.) No wonder we had an economic collapse of the magnitude we did.

SV

Indifferent

To say I respect her would be akin to saying I respect Westboro Baptist Church for expressing their right to free speech.
I don't.

Stinicker

Indifferent

Albert X wrote: »

She is scum, The policies she has happily voted for the last 2.5 years have killed people by suicide

I think you mean the Fianna Fail traitors who are scum because it is they who are responsible for the situation which has driven many fragile people in despair to suicide. This current Government are not responsible for what happened Fianna Fail are, and while this crowd gets all the abuse now people should remember it was the other scumbags who caused all the problems and these idiots now are trying to clean up the massive mess left behind.

It is Fianna Fails fault, and as for Lucinda Creighton I respect her decision to vote against it and sacrifice her career for what she believes in but she should really resign from politics now and allow someone else to have the opportunity when she has decided it wasn't for her.

Joe10000

seamus wrote: »

No.

Politicians aren't elected to lead with their conscience. They're elected to represent the people who voted for them. Voting with your conscience is an abuse of that role.

On an issue this contentious, any conscientious politician would have made a reasonable attempt to find out what their constituents wanted and vote like that. If that went against their own conscience, then vote against yourself and step down.

She voted the way she did and took the consequences because in her own words she couldn't vote for something she had already told the people who voted her in would never happen in the lifetime of this government. So in many ways she did exactly as you suggest.

My name is URL

No

Anyone that shows up how regressive and limiting the party-whip system is has some of my respect.. regardless of their views or intentions.