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Ivana Blacik, the new Labour party leader speaking from her fresh appointed role, says that “For me, politics is constructive – it’s about positive change – and change is always a choice“. All this (you can expect more) is coming forth as Labour will newly attempt to revitalise many of it’s own demoralised members and further people across Ireland. The aim, to hopefully persuade all into re-supporting them after many voter abandonments. …Voters that remain disgusted by what the modern Labour party allows, stands by quietly and what they have done!
Truthfully, what Labour did – and not liked at all by Ireland public who mass took to street protesting – was help construct the mega costly, still screwing up, private registered company “Irish Water”. This remains a rotten example of Labour being “constructive” in the eyes of many.
The Irish Water setup, along with still elected, continues to have plans for eventually reintroducing water recharges via water exiting home pipes – however, this has been shelved temporarily till the usual parties that also joined Labour in creating Irish Water and who also backed water recharges, can better sneak them in when the political atmosphere is less toxic for them to do so. They haven’t gone away, you know!
When it comes to “positive change”, the Labour party’s version of positive change, was to join Fine Gael into imposing many austerity measures that even EU heads and European controlling bodies have stated, were actually unnecessary, pointless and in come cases, totally ineffective. Labour’s previous “positive change” was to:
- Reduce 26’s welfare payments
- Chop away at lone parents finances
- Cut into Child benefits
- Take an axe to Respite care grants
- Attack old age pensions
- Destroy bereavement grants
- Bash Illness benefits for many
- Undermine the Dietary Supplement scheme
- Target fuel allowances
- Cut Household benefit packages
- Slash the Telephone allowance setup
- Blitz the treatment Benefit Scheme
Then there was the targeting of carers across Ireland and their state saving money efforts they were (and still are) actually doing. By continuing to look after vulnerable in their own homes rather than rely on state services far more so, carers were saving the national Revenue Department an annual fortune. That didn’t matter a damn to Labour. It still plundered ahead and also undermined money and hours connected to carers, many of which to date, still unofficial work seven days a week, 365 days a year!
If this was “positive change” in the eyes of the Labour Party, the public thereafter in consecutive elections, showed by their votes placed, that Labour could keep their treacherous “positive change” to themselves. They and it were – still are – no longer wanted! Indeed, it seems that Labour and it’s previous government partner, when not inventing more ways to lash out at Ireland people and what little finances then then had left after each imposed Labour party wallop, were also taking requests (orders?) from other EU heads to do more? LINK.
The vast majority of Ireland’s public were not amused at all – and despite Labour at the time claiming that it was all necessary, to steal money out of people’s pockets where they needed it far more so – voters thereafter have expressed their continued disgust to Labour representatives care of the lack of votes election time awarded to them.
For all the austerity measures that were called too harsh and unnecessary by other EU heads, subsequently there hasn’t been any form of clear or even vague, apology coming from the Labour party, over the way it’s wrongly treated the people of Ireland. There’s not been one apology from any remaining elected Labour representatives – including the tiny few still Dail elected that were then part and parcel in supporting the brutal party chopping!
Not one apology… Not one admission from any of them that they were wrong! Instead, now there is messages from the Labour party that “It’s time to move on“. This “move on” message is a clear attempt by the Labour party to try set some distance away from what they did and what they stood by in support – so that a hopefully forgetful public will then be further PR brainwashed into thinking that the Labour party stands for them and represents them.
The founders of the original Labour party could be rolling in their graves at just how much the current Labour party has betrayed the people of Ireland? When recently asked if she still stood by the austerity measures she previously supported, Mrs Bacik said she did. That says it all for many. Ultimately, little real change then!
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The Academic Controversy.
The new Labour party leader has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Bay South constituency since winning a by-election on 9 July 2021. Mrs Bacik previously served as leader of the Labour Party in the Seanad from 2011 to 2021. She was a Senator for the Dublin University constituency from 2007 to 2021. She previously served as Deputy Leader of Seanad Éireann from 2011 to 2016.
In all this time, she appears to still have retained a senior academic post that normally comes with a annual €100,000 salary, plus, it’s reported, additional expenses. Only now, is Mrs Blacik even considering that still held post while holding onto a TD position that would earn her another annual €100,000 a year before additional perks and expenses thrown in – on top of her additional Dail bump for being a Dail occupying party leader – which means even more money for her back account. What James Connelly would have thought of an elected Labour party representative earning such mega money while many same time struggle to afford basic food, heating and lighting, we shall sadly never know – but we might hazard a guess?
Many people are long questioned just how long a “Career break” should really be, before it turns into a sick joke where no taxpaying member of the public is able to laugh! Another infamous “Career break” was previously carried out by Fine Gael’s previous leader Enda Kenny, a school teacher on a long “break” – who too, retained collected additional pension payments while also building up massive pension contributions over decades while being a standard elected TD and more!
Only now, when Mrs Blacik has become top Labour leader, has the “Career break” longevity periods been started to be really questioned – again! Up till now, all the old traditional parties that have occupied government offices, have been conveniently quite happy to let the matter be shoved to one side, while each of their elected members were continuously able to take whole advantage of a still continuing situation!
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Democracy Be Damned!
The previous antics of Labour which many of it’s few remaining TD’s have quietly stood by and even participated in – that you’re not meant to notice or remember – still stand on record of Irish history books. They still stand by them, refusing to apologise or condemn them. Why should they? They still support them!
What antics? Take for example, when current Labour’s TD Ged Nash was previously sacked by the voting public of Louth. A clear message was sent out by the vast majority of people in that county that his services and very representation of them, was no longer desired. What did the Labour party then do – a party he stood by and supported! The Labour party bunged Ged Nash into the Seanad. This was after a convenient period of time had lapsed so that Dail large exit payments might still be available to apply for? We are not allowed to further know. Labour remains very quiet on this matter. …All before then being put into the Seanad so that yet again, Mr Nash could also represent people that by their previous firing vote, said they (92 % 0f first preference voters) didn’t majority want him! So, true democracy, the expression of wants and non-wants was to be damned, as far as the Labour party was concerned!
Yes, here too, past Labour leaders and current one, remain all too quiet about – as also they remain all too quite about another Ged Nash aspect. That being that he, Mrs Blacik and the Labour party had only been strongly previously telling the people of Ireland to vote for the closure of the Seanad. It’s then safe to say that they were all glad it wasn’t referendum vote decision closed, if only so that their own could then be tied over till they later would gain another opportunity to run for a later general election. This is what Mr Nash did, eventually scrapping across an elected line by being the last place, only remaining runner not to be previously eliminated! *See side note at bottom. The use of a place they wanted closed, came very handy for the party while ignoring the expressed democratic will of the Louth public.
.Sadly, Labour party antics didn’t end there. There was the referendums regarding treaties and when public decisions were not liked, the Labour party also supported the notion that the people should be made vote again! Then there was the later emergence of PESCO – an EU army setup in all by name. Ireland as a state, was allowed to be pressganged into that by Dail representatives that at no stage, even went to their employers, the public, for their thoughts or democratic given permission. No referendum permission was sought. No consultation with the public. Nothing. it was just rammed though the Dail as quick and quietly as possible – with little further scrutiny or open words expressed in clear opposition, by the Labour party of which Mr Nash and Mrs Blacik stood by – and still stands by. They still won’t talk about the billions it’s costing Ireland taxpayers every year – then again, RTE and other media outlets deliberately remain quiet about this aspect too.
You would think that would be the end of it, of what Labour party representatives were part and parcel of – or indeed open supporting. No, there is far more on record exposing where core values of Labour party elected do rest. It’s impossible to list them all off here – but here is an indicatory further one.
Before the last dying breath of a Labour government was over, in it’s dying weeks and days, it quickly and deliberately, very quietly, rushed though a small extra piece of Dail legislation, that undermined Ireland’s Freedom of Information Act. The Labour/Fine Gael legislation rammed though, saw to it that even far less specific data regarding TD’s spending activities, their accumulating taxpayer pensions and other connected, once available FOI information, was longer able to be accessed. In short, the parties deliberately made it far much harder for journalist and public to discover what they were up to, how they were and still are, accumulating taxpayer money – when they are also not off, also spending it!
No, RTE, also never mentions any of this too! Deliberate forgotten history.
This piece of legislation was supported by Labour elected and those that still currently stand by the party. There’s still no word from them regarding reversal of the previous imposed FOI access censoring legislation. They all are deliberately quiet about this matter also. They don’t want to talk about it. They don’t want to hear about it. It’s also embarrassing for them.
The Labour party now wishes to PR try and say that the party has fresh faces – while it’s leader is actually older than than the man they just ousted by pressure tactics and behind closed door further coup antics. The remaining top heads in it, are still also part and parcel of its previous questionable, dubious, dodgy, nepotism, cronyism filled, personal pocket filling past! A cabal of ‘champagne socialists‘.
Mrs Blacik says now “I do think it’s time to move on“. It’s obvious why Labour representatives want people to “move on” ??? Away from party history and that of still elected?
Those that have a working brain in their heads and are able to remember a lot of that its representatives have done, have allowed, have remined quiet over, have voted for, have brutally imposed, have to this day, continued to stand by and support – are not so quick willing to “move on”. They remember. They don’t forget and they most certainly don’t forgive.
However, that won’t stop what’s left of the dying Labour party still trying on their next whitewash PR stunts. They haven’t gone away, you know!
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Side Note: Just like Mr Nash of Labour previously calling for the total closure of the Seanad, Mrs Regina Doherty called for the exact same – before later now only being willing to take advantage of it’s still existence but also allowed to be incredibly made head of the whole setup. Fine Gael – like Labour previously ignoring voters expressed opinion – looked after Mrs Doherty, if only to tide her over some say, till she gains (like Nash) another opportunity to general election run again. In order to facilitate this next chance, they have politically moved her from the region she was vote fired from, into another political area where they hope, the public will more fall for Fine Gael’s refreshed PR once again.
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Putting fired people into the Seanad, allows them to further gain extra media advantages against other potential later runners. The fired gain more opportunity to media speak, appear in print newspapers and broadcast their voice on radio airwaves. as long as they have some sort of greater party awarded position, they are able to easier keep their profile more so in the public domain. That path, they hope, leads to regained votes through forgetful memories of those who are quick to forget what they stood by, did and represented previously.