BERTIE AND RUARAI GET IT SPECTACULARLY WRONG IN THE DAIL

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday October 17, 2002 02:03 by The Article 133 Information Group

Article 133 Information Group

“The GATS is not just something that exists between governments. It is first and foremost an instrument for the benefit of business.” - European Commission (1998), Opening World Markets for Services. BERTIE AND RUAIRI LIE THEIR PANTS OFF IN CONCERT AND MISLEAD THE DAIL ON WEDS 16TH OCTOBER 2002 AND ARE CAUGHT OUT. EITHER THAT OR THEY ARE BOTH ENTIRELY INCOMPETENT. HERE IS THE PROOF.

PRESS RELEASE: FOR URGENT GENERAL RELEASE
FROM: THE ARTICLE 133 INFORMATION GROUP
DATE: FRIDAY OCTOBER 18TH

“The GATS is not just something that exists between governments. It is first and foremost an instrument for the benefit of business.” - European Commission (1998), Opening World Markets for Services.

BERTIE AND RUAIRI LIE THEIR PANTS OFF IN CONCERT AND MISLEAD THE DAIL ON WEDS 16TH OCTOBER 2002 AND ARE CAUGHT OUT. EITHER THAT OR THEY ARE BOTH ENTIRELY INCOMPETENT. HERE IS THE PROOF.

PRESS RELEASE: FOR URGENT GENERAL RELEASE
FROM: ARTICLE 133 INFORMATION GROUP
DATE: FRIDAY OCTOBER 18TH

“The GATS is not just something that exists between governments. It is first and foremost an instrument for the benefit of business.” - European Commission (1998), Opening World Markets for Services.

Bertie and Ruairi lie their pants off in concert and mislead the Dail on Weds 16th October 2002 and are caught out. Either that or they are both entirely incompetent. Here is the proof. You heard it here first on Indymedia . . . . on the hush hush strickly QT.

It is important to note when reading the following that to date no citizens of Ireland or the rest of the EU have had access to the GATS negotiating documents, and that just over a month ago, six Dutch MP's were allowed to have a look at them in a government building in Holland but did so under the condition that they wouldn't discuss what they saw with anyone and were not allowed to take notes. (Holland’s government collapsed today by the by.)

German documents on this subject have been leaked in the last week. Unfortunately they are yet to be translated into English. We will send out their contents in a press release tomorrow.

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A short Excerpt from Proceedings in the Dail. Weds 16th October 2002. The key section is:

"Mr. J. Higgins: Will the Taoiseach agree-----
The Taoiseach: I quoted from what the Deputy said.
An Ceann Comhairle: Deputy Higgins, allow the Taoiseach to continue.
Mr. J. Higgins: -----that the negotiations can extend to public services?
An Ceann Comhairle: Deputy Higgins had an opportunity to put his questions. I ask him to resume his seat.
Mr. Quinn: It does not.
Mr. J. Higgins: It does.
The Taoiseach: It does not. "

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(ARTICLE 133 INFO GROUP: It does so!)

CONTINUES TO NEXT PAGE >>>>>>>>>

This is a transparent and proveable lie.

Here are definitions of 'services' as put forward by the EU to the WTO back in 2000.

The first document that directly contradicts Mr Quinn and The Taoiseach is registerd at the WTO as 'S/CSS/W/38; 22 December 2000' (remember we WILL lose control of water because its not in the exemption list with 'cultural - audiovisual services; education; and health and social security') Go to page 6 and you will find a chart which includes: "Water collection, purification and distribution services through mains, except steam & hot water... potable water treatment, purification and distribution including monitoring, Waste Water Services, Refuse disposal services, Nature & landscape protection services, Services related to recycling on a fee or contract basis"

Here are some other documents by the EU to the WTO clarifying it's
definitions of services. They also contradict Mr Quinn and the Taoiseach:

Document: 'S/CSS/W/33; 22 December 2000'
includes: "Urban planning and landscape architectural services"

Document 'S/CSS/W/61; 23 March 2001'
"8. The EC proposal on classification of postal/courier services includes the following sub-sectors:
9. Services relating to the handling of postal items , whether for domestic or foreign destinations:
(i) Handling of addressed written communications on any kind of physical medium , including:
- Hybrid mail services
- Direct mail
(ii) Handling of addressed parcels and packages
(iii) Handling of addressed press products
(iv) Handling of items referred to in (i) to (iii) above as registered
or insured mail.
(v) Express delivery services for items referred to in 1 to 3 above.
(vi) Handling of non-addressed items.
(vii) Document exchange.
(viii)Other services not elsewhere specified."

It is also important to note that he legal framework of GATS available to the public through the WTO currently includes some 169 areas and subsectors of the service industry, sectors as diverse as: “education, water, passenger transport; taxation, urban planning; midwives and nurses; agriculture and forestry; all insurance and insurance-related services, consumer credit; entertainment services including theatre, live bands and circus services; libraries, archives, museums and other cultural services, sporting and other recreational services.”

COMPREHENSIVE BACKGROUND RESEARCH AT: www.indymedia.ie/article133/

RELEASE ENDS >>>>>>>>>>

APPENDIX >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

EXCERPT FROM INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY ‘IMC ROVING REPORTER’
FULL TEXT OF INTERVIEW AVAILABLE HERE: WWW.INDYMEDIA.IE

(THE SCENE / FOYER OF A UCD ARTS ANNEX / BRIAN LENIHAN HAS TO BE HELPED BY THE GARDAI THROUGH A 50-60 STRONG BUNCH OF STUDENTS BLOCADING THE ENTRANCE TO THE BUILDING HE IS ENTERING. HE IS IN UCDTO OPEN THE NEW FIANNA FAIL ARCHIVE/ HE IS SURROUNDED BY THE MEDIA WHEN HE FINALLY MAKES IT INTO THE FOYER AND THEY QUIZ HIM ON VARIOUS EDUCATION ISSUES AND WHY CHARLIE MC CREEVY DID NOT MAKE AN EXPECTED APPEARANCE / AN IMC JOURNALIST WITH A CAMERA IS PRESENT AND DECIDES TO ASK A QUESTION. HERE IS A TRANSCRIPT HOT OFF THE PRESSES BROUGHT TO YOU ON THE HUSH HUSH STRICTLY QT)

Brian Lenihan: Are you televising me as I speak
IMC Roving Reporter: I am yeah!
Brian Lenihan: Have you a journalists card?
IMC RR: I'm with Indymedia
Brian Lenihan: Yeah. Is this for broadcasting in a particular place?
IMC RR: It might be!
Brian Lenihan: Yeah. What I'm telling you is I will do my best, as the Government will, to protect your interests.
IMC RR: (Referring to reintroduction of student fees etc) You can't guarantee me?
BL: Of course I can't guarantee you this morning what will happen. All that I can guarantee is that I'll do my best.
IMC RR: Why did Mr. McCreevy not come here today?
BL: Mr. McCreevy had another appointment to do some time ago. It wasn't something that suddenly emerged this morning. We opened a new Fianna Fail Archive here this morning as well. That's what I was asked to do.
IMC RR: Do you understand why all these students are here and why they are protesting?
BL: Well first of all I know that there's 20000 students in UCD. There's a very small number of them here. And I think it is obvious too from some of the posters and some of the references in them that they're politically motivated.
IMC RR: Isn't that a good thing?
BL: There's references to the NICE Treaty for example.
POSTER BEING HELD BY UNKNOWN STUDENT AGAINST WINDOW FACING BL: "Charlie! No more lies! What is Art. 133 of the Nice Treaty."
IMC RR: And on that reference to the NICE Treaty - What do you think about that?

BL: Well I think it is a very important issue for Ireland. The eyes of Europe are now looking at us. We have already damaged ourselves enormously in the eyes of the World by our rejection of the people of Eastern Europe. Many of those opposing of course subscribe to the old Communist Ideology - and to those people who controlled them for so long.
IMC RR: Minister, Can I ask you about Article 133?
BL: What is in Article 133?
IMC RR: What is in Article 133?
BL: You asked me a question - what is in Article 133?
IMC RR: I'm asking you what is article 133?
BL: You tell me what is in Article 133?
IMC RR: I'm asking you Minister
BL: I'm not dealing with it here this morning. I'm not here to discuss it. I've read every article in the Nice Treaty.
IMC RR: Can you explain Article 133?
BL: You show me the text and I'll explain it to you.
IMC RR: Minister can you tell me what Article 133 is and how we will be affected and what GATS means with regard to the NICE treaty?
BL: Sorry, excuse me, I really have to go now. I'll tell you one thing though I belive about Nice. Our future is with Europe.
(BL WALKS OFF)
IMC RR: Will you tell me about article 133 Minister?

TRANSCRIPT EXCERPT ENDS

>>>>>>>>Complete transcript at www.indymedia.ie>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>