Uh oh!

The opposition parties won’t be able  to help themselves when it comes to criticising the Government for any reason, this will include criticism over their efforts for Lisbon.

Labour’s release earlier today is quite telling, that they can’t help but send out a press release having a go at the Government over Lisbon.

“It is time the coalition Government of Fianna Fáil and the Green Party showed some leadership and started to campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote in the forthcoming Lisbon Treaty. They seem to be more intent on pussyfooting around the Referendum than engaging in an honest campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote”, said Deputy Joe Costello addressing a Labour Party campaign meeting today.
“The Green Party leadership is overly anxious to prevent an internal party decision on the Draft NAMA proposals until after the Lisbon Referendum on the 2nd October, while the Taoiseach appears unsure as to whether to publish the Commission on Taxation’s Report before the Lisbon Referendum.
“It is only a short while ago since the Government was reluctant to publish the NAMA proposals at all before the same Referendum.
“This coalition Government has become indecisive and panicky.  The two components in it are watching their backs, watching each other and watching each other’s back benchers.  It is not a pretty political sight.
“The Lisbon Referendum was lost last year because of the lack of Government leadership – the Greens failed to get a mandate to campaign and Fianna Fáil just failed to campaign.
“On this occasion the Greens have a mandate and Fianna Fáil cannot afford a second failure.  So why don’t they just get on with it and start campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote?
“By trying to kick other major political issues to touch until after the Referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, the coalition partners are only attracting suspicions as to what their motives might be, and thus creating a negative context for the Referendum.
“For those of us who believe that the Lisbon Treaty is about enhanced democratisation, increased accountability and the effective functioning of the enlarged European Union it doesn’t matter when NAMA or the Report of the Commission on Taxation come along.
“The Lisbon Referendum is crucially important in its own right for the future of Ireland and the future of Europe and it should not be juggled with politically by Fianna Fáil and the Greens.”

“It is time the coalition Government of Fianna Fáil and the Green Party showed some leadership and started to campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote in the forthcoming Lisbon Treaty. They seem to be more intent on pussyfooting around the Referendum than engaging in an honest campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote”, said Deputy Joe Costello addressing a Labour Party campaign meeting today.

“The Green Party leadership is overly anxious to prevent an internal party decision on the Draft NAMA proposals until after the Lisbon Referendum on the 2nd October, while the Taoiseach appears unsure as to whether to publish the Commission on Taxation’s Report before the Lisbon Referendum.

“It is only a short while ago since the Government was reluctant to publish the NAMA proposals at all before the same Referendum.

“This coalition Government has become indecisive and panicky.  The two components in it are watching their backs, watching each other and watching each other’s back benchers.  It is not a pretty political sight.

“The Lisbon Referendum was lost last year because of the lack of Government leadership – the Greens failed to get a mandate to campaign and Fianna Fáil just failed to campaign.

“On this occasion the Greens have a mandate and Fianna Fáil cannot afford a second failure.  So why don’t they just get on with it and start campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote?

“By trying to kick other major political issues to touch until after the Referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, the coalition partners are only attracting suspicions as to what their motives might be, and thus creating a negative context for the Referendum.

“For those of us who believe that the Lisbon Treaty is about enhanced democratisation, increased accountability and the effective functioning of the enlarged European Union it doesn’t matter when NAMA or the Report of the Commission on Taxation come along.

“The Lisbon Referendum is crucially important in its own right for the future of Ireland and the future of Europe and it should not be juggled with politically by Fianna Fáil and the Greens.”

Labour’s campaign for Lisbon apparently begins with their press conference on Monday (where I’m sure they’ll show off some campaign posters, which one hopes will be a bit better than their effort last time, where their campaign appeared to be more about using the relaxation in the litter laws during the 30 days before the referendum date to promote local candidate posters.

It may very well be the case that it could be easier for Lisbon to be passed if Fianna Fail isn’t involved in the Lisbon 2 campaign, lest their involvement turn the referendum on Lisbon 2 to be a referendum on them.

It doesn’t help that in the press release Labour mention in the same breath both Nama and the Commission for Taxation, two issues which I’m absolutely certain are more important in the eyes of voters (especially the ones which need to be converted from the No side to the Yes side).

It’s hypocrisy for Labour to send out a press release like this, doing exactly what they are accusing Fianna Fail of.

creating a negative context for the Referendum

Either way, the in-fighting has kicked off, and is the kind of thing likely to damage efforts on the  Yes side to speak with one single coherent voice.