General Election 2011

cavan shooter

i was going to give labour a vote now it will be a very short ballot pa
per.

Sparks

Latest RedC poll, out in the Sunday Business Post tomorrow:

FG: 39% (+1),
Lab: 17% (-3),
FF: 16% (+1),
SF: 12% (+2),
Grns: 2% (-1),
Ind: 14% (nc).

And their leaders poll:
Enda Kenny: 31%,
Micheal Martin: 26%,
Eamon Gilmore: 21%

The Sunday Independent poll figures are disputed but look like this now confirmed as:
FF 16% (+4),
FG 37% (-1)
Lab 20% (-3)
Grn 1% (-)
SF 12% (+2)
Ind 14% (-2)

johngalway

I'm slightly disappointed with the FG numbers there. I'd hoped they'd pushed onto 40%. With the prospects of an OM, there's a line of thinking that a lower number that FF's 42% of the last election may yield more seats given the % gap between the frontrunner and others in this election. They need to do everything right in the next 4 days, it's a big ask.

IRLConor

johngalway wrote: »

I'm slightly disappointed with the FG numbers there. I'd hoped they'd pushed onto 40%. With the prospects of an OM, there's a line of thinking that a lower number that FF's 42% of the last election may yield more seats given the % gap between the frontrunner and others in this election. They need to do everything right in the next 4 days, it's a big ask.

From working on the numbers for http://www.boards.ie/vote/, the one thing I've learned for sure is that the first preference party percentages can be very deceiving.

While first preferences are very important, parties don't win second or even third seats in a constituency without attracting transfers from other voters. In the boards poll, FG and Labour are both doing well on transfers so they're getting more seats than their first preference would suggest. FF are having a very hard time getting transfers so they're missing out on seats right left and centre. Based purely on first preferences in the boards poll FG should get 48 seats and FF should get 14 but when you run the full PR-STV system they get 63 and 4 respectively.

If any of ye haven't voted in the boards.ie poll, please do here: http://www.boards.ie/vote/. In particular, if you're based in Cavan-Monaghan or Kerry South or indeed any rural constituency we could do with your help getting the numbers up. The more people we get, the more useful the data becomes.

Sparks

The problem with voting FG though, apart from Deasy, is... well, given their online campaign, I think they're actually deliberately trying to lose the election:



I mean, if one of the other parties had done this, you'd call it dirty tricks...

DavyDee

Reminder for all here for Friday, taken for the NARGC website:

The Labour Party has set itself unambiguously against hunting and will act against the interests of fieldsports if in government. As all fieldsports enthusiasts will know already, Fine Gael has agreed to support all countrysports and to repeal the legislation brought in by the Green Party to ban the Ward Union Hunt. On the Pat Kenny radio show on RTE today, February 18th, Eamon Gilmore was asked "Fine Gael have given a commitment in their manifesto to repeal the ban on stag hunting. Mr. Gilmore this was hard won and I want to know if in government with Fine Gael will you repeal it?" His reply was "NO I will not".

He also accepted the animal rights terminology of calling the release and recapture of the stag unharmed by the Ward Union as a bloodsport.

To a query from another hunting supporter regarding the Labour Party's position on fieldsports the following reply came back: "Further to your query to Kathleen Lynch's office, The Labour Party supports the maintenance of the current strict licensing system for hunting and field sports.

Yours sincerely

Michael Mc Loughlin
Labour Queries Team"

Labour party candidates around the country have started to go the way of the Green Party position on hunting and animal rights generally. It is now becoming abundantly clear that a vote for Labour will be tantamount to putting a party in government which is no friend of fieldsports and country pursuits. The only way hunting, shooting and other countrysports people can secure their way of life is to give Fine Gael an overall majority. We urge all 300,000 fieldsports people to get in touch with their Fine Gael candidates and let them know how much we appreciate their support and get in touch with Labour candidates and let them know that they are now alienating rural people and will pay the price on polling day. There is no better opportunity than now to determine the future of your chosen sport.

Other news on this front:

The Greens have published their intentions as regards animal rights and fieldsports in their Election Manifesto. They include:

1. Pass into law the Animal Health and Welfare Bill, which outlaws
fur farming and the culling of badgers.
2. Examine the possibilities of alternatives to live animal
exports from Ireland.
3. Make it a requirement for all retail outlets to label animal
derived material such as fur and/or leather, regardless of
the percentage of fur and/or leather in the items.
4. Prohibit the trade in animal fur products.
5. Implement legislation to end the importation of and trade in exotic
species.
6. Introduce legislation to ban hare coursing.
7. Make the hunting of animals with hounds an offence under law.
8. Replace the culling of badgers with more effective and humane
methods of control.
9. End the use of exotic animals in circuses in the long term.
In the short term issue a Ministerial Directive to all Local
Authorities prohibiting them from providing land to circuses
that use exotic animals in their acts.

There can be no doubt but that the Green Party wishes to destroy everything we hold dear as fieldsports enthusiasts.

http://www.nargc.ie/site.aspx

Sparks

http://irishshootingpolitics.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/fianna-fail-policy-on-firearms/

February 22, 2011
Fianna Fail policy on Firearms

Sent by email:

Hi,

As an Olympic target shooter, I’d like to ask for details on Fianna Fail’s policies and plans with regards to the Firearms Act, the handgun ban and private firearms ownership in Ireland, and to invite you to engage with the target shooting and hunting community on shooting.boards.ie to discuss these matters. With some 200,000 licenced firearms owners in the state, I think such engagement would be appropriate during the election campaign.

Regards,

Received in response:

Dear Mr. Dennehy,
Thank you for your email dated 13th February 2011.

Fianna Fail has no plans to change existing legislation which we believe serves several very important functions, and strikes a balance between these and recreational interests generally. We are supportive of the sports of target shooting and hunting, and are mindful of their social importance, particularly in rural areas. We will view the website you refer to and would be happy to engage with any representations.

Yours sincerely,
Clare Minihane
Fianna Fáil Headquarters

Not exactly shocking, but included for the record...

johngalway

"We are supportive of the sports of target shooting and hunting"

:pac:

Full bore pistols, stag hunting bill. What else would they have done given the chance!

daithi55

labour and green party plan on bringing in more hunting laws

have your say and dont vote for them

http://www.nargc.ie/site.aspx

Sparks

From the NARGC website:

FINE GAEL TARGETED BY ANIMAL RIGHTS EXTREMISTS

Animal rights activists have targeted Fine Gael candidates with scurrilous adverts, emails and in some constituencies leaflets demonising them for their consistent support for fieldsports. We urge every person involved in all forms of fieldsports to make an effort to contact their Fine Gael candidates and let them know of your support. THIS IS IMPORTANT ! The only definitive answer which is appropriate is to give your vote to those candidates (and not forgetting Labour support also). The general election ballot on Friday next, February 25th is the only poll which will count. Now is the time to demonstrate the strength of the 300,000 people who are fieldsports enthusiasts and to demonstrate to our public representatives that the support for fieldsports is overwhelming and the debate is decided. Call or email your local Fine Gael candidates and get out and vote next Friday.


LABOUR CLARIFIES SUPPORT FOR FIELDSPORTS

Following clarification from the Labour Party Press Office, we are happy to acknowledge Labour's support for fieldsports and its commitment not to introduce any legislation which would be detrimental to fieldsports. We are further happy to highlight the support which we previously received from Labour on many issues in the past, in particular from Deputies Emmett Stagg, Willie Penrose and Pat Rabbitte to name but some. We also wish to highlight that Party's support in the vote on the legislation banning the Ward Union Stag Hounds. Therefore, we urge fieldsports enthusiasts to offer their support to Labour Party candidates as well as to Fine Gael.

That first story is probably this.

cavan shooter

I have never seen such back pedaling in my life:D

From the ICABS website

Labour Party won't reverse staghunt ban: Eamon Gilmore
21 February 2011



Labour Party leader, Eamon Gilmore, has re-iterated that the party will not support a reversal of the ban on staghunting, if they form part of the next government. Speaking on the Today with Pat Kenny radio show on 18th February, Mr Gilmore stated: "We do not believe in reversing the legislation. The legislation was passed. We accept that. We won't reverse it."

Listen to Eamon Gilmore's statement
Today with Pat Kenny radio show, 18th February 2011
Listen Online
Download as mp3, 48 seconds

Eamon Gilmore had previously given a similar assurance on the Marian Finucane radio show last October.

The Irish Council Against Blood Sports welcomes this latest confirmation that, unlike Fine Gael, the Labour Party will not try to reverse the ban.

See the Labour Party's list of election candidates at www.labour.ie/people/
Are your candidates compassionate? Before you vote, Check our list!

We won't reverse staghunt ban - Labour Leader
05 October 2010

Labour Party leader, Eamon Gilmore, has announced that if his party gets into government after the next election, they will not reverse the ban on staghunting.

Speaking on the Marian Finucane radio show on October 2nd, Mr Gilmore stated that the party "won't reverse the decision" and that they "will stick with the ban on staghunting".

Mr Gilmore was one of the majority of Labour Party TDs who voted against the ban in June. It finally passed by a majority of 75 votes to 71, thus banning the cruel Ward Union deer hunt.

ICABS welcomes this confirmation that, unlike Fine Gael, the Labour Party will not try to reverse the ban. We are calling on the party to give a commitment that if they get into government, they will ban hare coursing and foxhunting.

You can hear Eamon Gilmore's statement by clicking on the link below
Listen Online
Download as mp3, 43 seconds

Video: Carted deer hunting cruelty

Sparks

There's a ways between "we won't bring in new legislation" and "we'll repeal existing legislation" though cavan

The only problem is, as good as the promises from FG sound....
...well, it's Enda, isn't it?

johngalway

Sparks wrote: »

...well, it's Enda, isn't it?

Sparks

It's just that I keep trying to remember that there's Bruton for finance, and Flanagan's been a friend of our sports in the past, but... I keep coming back to looking at Kenny and thinking "oh crap, he's going to be taoiseach?" - and the last time I thought that, it was Cowen. So once bitten, twice shy.

Chipboard

Remember tomorrow;

p32 of the Green Party Manifesto;

Animal welfare is of great concern to the
Green Party and we will continue to build on
our significant work to date as part of the next
government by undertaking the following
measures:

Make the hunting of animals with hounds
an offence under law.

As the man says, the Green Party won't stop until they stop the cat from chasing the mouse.

johngalway

Whatever way ye're voting folks, get out and exercise your franchise today

knockon

A very informative thread. Thanks Sparks. I will be exercising my constitutional right today and Labour, the Greens and FF don't figure in it. I hope the Labour backroom staff have been monitoring this thread so they can add this as another reason they had such a poor campaign. I will be voting FG 1 & 2 but I did email Party HQ to ask about John Deasys solo run last year.

Grizzly 45

Any response from them on this??

Sparks

Second story, post 71 is about as close to a response as anyone got I think Griz.

Double Barrel

Good stuff lads, it has being an interesting read and a very constructive and informed thread. Bravo to all who have contributed.

Nothing really constructive to add to the conversation, except that we should maybe heed the sage words of Niccolò Machiavelli penned five hundred years ago and as poignant and powerful today as they were in 1513.

"Every one admits how praiseworthy it is in a prince to keep faith, and to live with integrity and not with craft. Nevertheless our experience has been that those princes who have done great things have held good faith of little account, and have known how to circumvent the intellect of men by craft, and in the end have overcome those who have relied on their word....But it is necessary to know well how to disguise this characteristic....Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated, but it is very necessary to appear to have them." The Prince.

Sparks

Er, DB, you know that that entire book was satire written by a guy about the family that had both his arms broken (well, dislocated out of the shoulders while he was hanging from them), right? (It's not a how-to guide, it's the 1500s version of The Daily Show)

IRLConor

Sparks wrote: »

Er, DB, you know that that entire book was satire written by a guy about the family that had both his arms broken (well, dislocated out of the shoulders while he was hanging from them), right? (It's not a how-to guide, it's the 1500s version of The Daily Show)

While that's certainly a valid interpretation of the text it's by no means a definitive one.

That's beside the point though, since Double Barrel's quote above is valid in either case.

Double Barrel

:D

Well.... the least we can say is he (Nic) did have some "special" insights. :rolleyes:

Sparks

True, that

Sparks

So far, looks like Fine Gael then Labour then the independents then Fianna Fail then Sinn Fein and the greens are somewhere down around the 1-2% level. Paul Gogarty's already conceded.

Grizzly 45

To misquote Shakespear "The old order doth change":cool:

Sparks

Looks like Dick Roche is out on his tod as well.

Sparks

And Willie "I know how to handle a pistol" O'Dea has seen his vote drop from 38% to 16%, but he's probably still going to be elected.

Sparks

Looks like Mary Hanafin is out as well.

johngalway

I have this warm, fuzzy feeling inside Ahhhh...