How does Lowry the kingmaker fit with Kenny
If you’re a TD, and especially an Independent, no hesitation. Dominion over sun, wind and rain is all very well, but nothing compares with delivering some goodies to your constituency. Hustling for a sports stadium, a new road or better canada goose outlet trillium parka black still, a casino is the name of the game.
canada goose coats on sale Bubbles are back on the radar currently, with reminders of the credit bubble, which fuelled the housing bubble, both bursting with catastrophic consequences. It’s all there in the Oireachtas Banking Inquiry report. But those bubbles weren’t all that left Ireland well and truly buckled. canada goose coats on sale
canada goose black friday sale There is another bubble, not yet popped, which continues to warp Irish life: the parish pump cocoon whose occupants are unable to look beyond their own narrow interests. Some politicians inhabit that bubble, but so do the electorate they represent. This bubble of self interest trumping the national interest appears to be a particularly Irish weakness, regrettably. canada goose black friday sale
And so to speculation about Michael Lowry as a potential kingmaker in forming the next Dil. Enda Kenny could have closed off such conjecture with a pledge not to do business with the Tipperary TD, around whom a whiff of the night clings. But the Taoiseach remains silent, leaving his options open.
canada goose Side deals with Independents a feature of the debased politics he promised to sweep away isn’t democracy but anti democracy. It is an affront to any true sense of community: it leads to canada goose outlet washington dc resources being funnelled towards areas where clout rather than need is greatest. Furthermore, the details underpinning these arrangements are secret, which is hostile to the principle of transparent government. canada goose
The Banking Inquiry report serves as a reminder canada goose jacket outlet uk that substandard leadership carries a steep price tag. The financial collapse hit harder in Ireland due to the failure of office holders in various positions of trust, from regulatory to political. As canada goose outlet usa Joe Higgins observed yesterday, “99.9pc” of what was done to inflate the bubble and cause the crash was legal. Failure begets failure.
Canada Goose Jackets Have we learnt from the collapse? Or do we barrel on regardless? Consider whether Ireland is radically different in the aftermath. Enda Kenny referenced a new dawn when he took office: “I believe the old ways, the old politics, damaged us not just financially but emotionally and psychologically,” he said. Canada Goose Jackets
Canada Goose Online Those old politics included voting pacts with Independents such as Michael Lowry, whose financial affairs have attracted much canada-gooseoutlets scrutiny, including from Revenue. So, the question is: has the Taoiseach changed his mind about the harm caused by the old ways? Canada Goose Online
Some say Enda’s unwillingness to rule out the Lowry factor is an example of realpolitik, and the Taoiseach being realistic. But it sits uneasily with his promise to end political strokes, cronyism, patronage and graft.
Canada Goose sale Ironically, canada goose jacket outlet sale his silence gives the Tipperary North electorate a compelling reason to vote for Mr Lowry, a consistent poll topper with 14,000 plus first preferences in 2011. Voters may be tempted to believe further concessions might be wrung from a Fine canada goose outlet in usa Gael led coalition dependent on his support. Canada Goose sale
Canada Goose Outlet However, the Banking Inquiry report is a reminder of how dearly we have paid already for an ambiguous view of ethics and an equivocal attitude towards standards in public office. Canada Goose Outlet
The Labour leadership has taken a position against putting Mr Lowry on standby to shore up a new administration. But Enda and his senior ministers’ refusal to rule out a deal Leo Varadkar is an honourable exception, while Charlie Flanagan has made his objections known, too is disturbing.
And how paradoxical that such a deal should be in the ether (even notionally) at a time when the 1916 canada canada goose outlet goose outlet in montreal generation, hopeful of shaping a new kind of Ireland, is remembered.
Some people shrug that it’s just how politics works. If Enda needs to play the Lowry card or indeed any combination of Independents with wish lists so be it; stable government is worth the compromise. They dismiss criticism as impractical idealism. But why is idealism such a debased word? What’s wrong with wanting leadership on the basis of transparency and integrity without goodie jar deals?
uk canada goose outlet Of course, Mr Lowry isn’t just any Independent. In the wake of the Moriarty Tribunal report, he was banned from ever running for Fine Gael again, and formally censured in the canada goose outlet store calgary Dil. Even if some of his former colleagues feel able to discount that now, Moriarty’s findings cannot be set aside so readily. uk canada goose outlet
The tribunal said it was “beyond doubt” that Mr Lowry, when a minister, gave significant help to businessman Denis O’Brien to win a lucrative mobile phone licence. Mr Lowry’s influence on the process was “insidious and pervasive” and the report concluded that payments were made by Mr O’Brien to the benefit of Mr Lowry, routed through intermediaries and offshore accounts.
canada goose store While Mr Lowry has disputed Moriarty’s findings, another judge yesterday said they stand unchallenged. That reminder came from Mr Justice John Hedigan, who rejected Mr Lowry’s attempt in the High Court to overturn the Moriarty Tribunal’s decision to refuse him two thirds of his costs (said to run into several million euro). The judge said the tribunal found “a litany of falsification and deception by Mr canada goose outlet store near me Lowry”. canada goose store
Is this really someone Enda is willing to strike a deal with? So far the indications are definitely maybe. Let’s have some clarity because, as Shakespeare reminds us in ‘Sonnet 94′, “Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.”.