Joan Collins election campaign launched

national | politics / elections | news report Sunday April 29, 2007 12:08 by Brendan Young - CIL info at joancollins dot ie

Independent socialist Councillor Joan Collins kicked off her election campaign on Monday April 23

Joan Collins is standing as an independent socialist in the coming general election. She was elected to Dublin City Council as an Anti-Bin-Tax Councillor. She is determined to present a real alternative to the people of South Central. She is part of and supported by the Community & Workers Action Group (CWAG), and by the Development Action Group (DAG).
Also speaking at the launch meeting was Brid Smith of the People Before Profit Alliance, who is standing in the Ballyfermot area of the constituency. We are calling for a Number 1 vote for Joan Collins; and a Number 2 for Brid Smith.
The CIL is asking people who want a genuine alternative to get involved in Joan's election campaign. We also call for all socialist and community activists to support and vote for anti-coalition leftwing candidates, including Joan Collins and Seamus Healy TD, the people Before Profit Alliance candidates, the Socialist Party candidates, the ISN candidate and Catherine Conolly in Galway.

Speaking about the coming general election, Joan Collins said:

“This election, like the last one, is an auction of glittering promises. Last time out, Fianna Fáil promised the world. The reality for ordinary people is little done, and more of the same to follow.

Once again Fianna Fail are making promises; and all that Fine Gael can say is that they would do it better. Neither side propose any significant change to the way things are now. Their hopeful partners in coalition – Labour, the Greens, Sinn Féin or ‘deal-making’ Independents – would like us to believe that the tail will wag the dog. It will not! They will get some minor concessions out of a coalition deal, but the fundamentals will stay the same – and everybody knows it. Thus the silence on the fundamentals. Coalition with Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael means support for the status quo.”

Collins says the present government has served the rich:

“Fianna Fáil have delivered for the wealthy, the multinationals, and the developers. Six Irish billionaires – who pay little or no tax here - are worth €11 billion. Foreign multinationals pay the lowest taxes in the EU. Shell gets our natural gas almost free, while we pay through the nose for it. Developers get tax breaks and make millions building apartment blocks unsuitable for families.”

She says the poor have been left behind:

“In the midst of Celtic Tiger wealth, UNICEF says that of the 26 richest countries in the world, Ireland is one of the worst for child poverty – fourth from the bottom. The gap between rich and poor is the biggest in Europe, bar one. Nearly a fifth of the population are on low incomes and depend on benefits to keep going. Our healthcare is in crisis and nobody on an average wage can afford a decent home.

Yet more tax is raised by VAT, which takes a bigger slice of the incomes of the poor than the rich, than by income tax or corporation tax; and our VAT rate is one of the highest in the EU. But like the US military using Shannon to wage war in Iraq, no party is serious about ending these injustices.”

Calling on ordinary people to support anti-coalition candidates, Collins says:

“Its time for a real alternative that will fight for the needs of ordinary people. That’s why I am standing as a socialist independent and why I refuse to make any coalition deals. I’m asking for a number 1 vote and a number 2 for Brid Smith, who is also standing in South Central. It is with anti-coalition candidates like Seamus Healy, Catherine Connolly, Brid Smith and the People Before Profit Alliance that a real alternative will be put forward.”