RTE refuse to allow organisers of anti-household tax campaign on panel to discuss campaign

In what has to be one of its odder decisions Morning Ireland this morning decided that the best voice of opposition to the Property Tax was obviously someone from Finna Fail the political party who began the process of bringing the tax in.  The property tax was part of the package of cuts Finna Fail agreed with the Trokia while in government. To most people the more obvious voice of opposition would certainly be the mass campaign of some 50% of households that has refused to pay the Household Charge, the fore runner of the property tax.  That campaign also brought thousands of people to protest outside the Fine Gael ard fheis.

In what has to be one of its odder decisions Morning Ireland this morning decided that the best voice of opposition to the Property Tax was obviously someone from Finna Fail the political party who began the process of bringing the tax in.  The property tax was part of the package of cuts Finna Fail agreed with the Trokia while in government. To most people the more obvious voice of opposition would certainly be the mass campaign of some 50% of households that has refused to pay the Household Charge, the fore runner of the property tax.  That campaign also brought thousands of people to protest outside the Fine Gael ard fheis.

A press release from the campaign noted "The Campaign Against Household & Water Taxes is disappointed to note RTE’s refusal to carry any of its spokespeople on its Morning Ireland programme this morning. Although we had been contacted by researchers, and had provided a speaker, RTE decided to include Fianna Fail as the voice of opposition to the property tax.

‘A property tax was part of the agreement with the Troika, which Fianna Fail allowed in to Ireland. How then can they be taken seriously as the opposition to this proposed tax?’ said Gregor Kerr ‘This is simply a cynical attempt by Fianna Fail to curry favour with a public that has reached breaking point’.

‘Fianna Fail are trying to rehabilitate their failed policies, and unfortunately RTE seem only too willing to pander to them. Where was the Fianna Fail opposition to the Government line up to now? We recently saw up to 20,000 people take to the streets to voice their anger over austerity, those people didn’t need Fianna Fail’s support, and wouldn’t have accepted it if it had been offered.’

‘The simple fact is that CAHWT is the only group capable of seriously opposing the property tax. We have shown this through our successful campaign against the Household Tax, which is still being resisted by 50% of owner-occupiers.’

‘We are organising a demonstration against the latest austerity budget on the 5th of December. We will gather at the Central Bank at 4.30pm and march to the Dail to let the Government know what we think of their continued attacks on the weakest in our society. Will Fianna Fail be joining us?’

Perhaps little else can be expected from the state broadcaster in its ongoing portrayal of politics as something that a handful of elected TD’s get up to while the mass of society passively watch, only turning out to choose the lesser evil every few years.  This electoralist vision stands in stark contrast to anarchism which advocates that politics should be what everyone does by coming together, discussing and deciding on all issues that impact our lives.  We’d hardly expect Morning Ireland to give a fair voice to such a vision but we are a little astounded that they selected the oppotunistic politicans of Finna Fail as somehow being the voice of opposition over a mass campaign involving half the population!

Words: Andrew Flood Follow me on Twitter