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| No Ideas, No Innovation, No Enterprise Government’s Time is Up- Upton |
| Saturday, 17 April 2010 | |||
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Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Galway City addressing the motions on Labour’s Proposals for Jobs and the Economy When I hear Government Ministers and TDs bleating on about “the Smart Economy” or “the Knowledge Economy”, I wonder what they have in mind. Clearly it has little or nothing to do with their own thought process. They are neither smart nor knowledgeable. Their economic polices offer nothing to the 400,000 plus people who are on social welfare payments. A volcano in Iceland seems to be more effective in stemming emigration than Government policy. Ireland’s economy needs to move away from its obsolete Celtic Tiger phase. Brian Cowen’s solution? Cut funding to City and County Enterprise Boards, organisations whose statutory function is, and I quote “to stimulate economic and entrepreneurial activity at city/county level and to develop local indigenous enterprise potential in the micro-business sector.” The number of tourists visiting Ireland dropped by almost 1 million in 2009. Noel Dempsey’s solution? Maintain an Air Travel Tax that creates a barrier to entry to an island nation. Our economy has been ruined by a cabal of politicians, bankers and developers. Dermot Ahern’s solution? Wage an insidious campaign via right wing media to turn public against private sector while the Government continues to pay the pensions of bankers who destroyed this country’s economy and who have major loans outstanding to their former employers. It really is time for this Government to get out of the way with their Green baggage and allow a window of opportunity for real progress and development to be installed. Dignity has never been a Fianna Fáil strong point but surely even they must recognise that the best interests of the country are served by an immediate Election. The Labour Party is offering real leadership in re-imagining a “One Ireland”. The Labour Party has been accurate on everything from opposing the blanket bank guarantee to taxing online gambling while the Government dances to the tune of the vested interests. We can lead the country out of the economic nightmare created by that cosy cabal that frequented that tent in Ballybrit. We can offer real reform in Irish political life. We will protect Enterprise boards that help new businesses and help create employment. I commend this motion to the conference.
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