[Politics] Election for 25 February 2011, Carey is transport minister for now

[ThomasJ]

So following this mornings dramatic developments.

Dempsey has resigned.

Pat Carey is now minister for transport for the short remaining timespan of the current government

Oh and we now have a date for the general election,11th march. No sign of any green tds in the dail for the announcement.

[Thomas J Stamp]

We had an election forum last GE would be interesting to have one now.

My recollection at the end of the process last time was that the transport issue, and rail specificly, was not a vote gainer/loser in the commuter belt or the cities, but was an important isse in the west, due to the presence of WoT and others.

I had honestly expected the transport/commuter issue to be a vote winner for Labour but in the end it was not to be.

Now we have a real chance of a Labour Minister for Transport by the end of March so it will be interesting to see what they do.

If I was in FG or Labour I would have a meeting of party leaders and their respective full time party HQ officers/Stratigists and I would in effect thrash out what departments are going to whom for definite after the election and then give almost free reign to say, Labour, on that basis vis a vis Transport, Social Welfare, Health in its manifesto and to come as close as possible to FG in the other departments, and vice-versa.

At least then we can have a clearer view of what they are about. Given that T21 is dead as a duck and that IE are hiding in a bunker fearing their heads will be shot off its time for a blank sheet and something new and different.

[ThomasJ]

Originally Posted by Thomas J Stamp

We had an election forum last GE would be interesting to have one now.

My recollection at the end of the process last time was that the transport issue, and rail specificly, was not a vote gainer/loser in the commuter belt or the cities, but was an important isse in the west, due to the presence of WoT and others.

I had honestly expected the transport/commuter issue to be a vote winner for Labour but in the end it was not to be.

Now we have a real chance of a Labour Minister for Transport by the end of March so it will be interesting to see what they do.

If I was in FG or Labour I would have a meeting of party leaders and their respective full time party HQ officers/Stratigists and I would in effect thrash out what departments are going to whom for definite after the election and then give almost free reign to say, Labour, on that basis vis a vis Transport, Social Welfare, Health in its manifesto and to come as close as possible to FG in the other departments, and vice-versa.

At least then we can have a clearer view of what they are about. Given that T21 is dead as a duck and that IE are hiding in a bunker fearing their heads will be shot off its time for a blank sheet and something new and different.

Good post, I agree. It will be interesting to hear the different parties plans in the runup to the election.

Would be interesting to see what happens to navan now that Dempsey is gone

Also who is fgs current transport spokesperson? Please tell me it isn't Olivia?

If it's a labour minister, I agree I have more hope.

Definitely we need either a new thread or even forum for the election, just keep it public!

[Mark Gleeson]

Simon Coveney FG
Joe Costello LAB

And this is the election forum

[ThomasJ]

so not much going on pending the finance bill over the next couple of days but looks like the election date maybe changed to end of february.

Interesting times!

out of interest, who would be the worst transport minister we could end up with in the new government?

[ccos]

And who would be the best?