Editorails

A just society, not just an economy

THERE IS NO DENYING there is an economic crisis affecting the decisions that have to be taken by governments and political parties in power all over the world, and Ireland is no exception. Where Sinn Féin differs dramatically from the conservative coalitions - Fine Gael/Labour in Dublin and the Conservative Party/Liberal Democrats in London - is the choices being made to address the crisis.
Sinn Féin puts the interests of Irish citizens above those of banks and bondholders; it prioritises job creation and public services.
In this issue of An Phoblacht we carry features on the economic situation affecting people all over Ireland, one by Conor Murphy MP and also a summary of Sinn Féin’s Dáil pre-Budget proposals.
It’s all about choices.
The 2012 Budget will be Fine Gael and Labour’s Budget. They can blame no one else. The media has been dominated by a stream of planned ministerial leaks about the likely cuts.
All of these cuts will hit low-income and middle-income families hardest. And will any of this create jobs and reduce unemployment? No. According to the Government’s own figures, unemployment levels in four years’ time will be almost equivalent to where they are today. Where is the hope for citizens? If emigration were not taking place at the rate of up to 50,000 a year, unemployment levels would in fact be significantly higher in four years’ time.
Government policy is not working. Its Budget will not work. The Government’s deflationary policies are not working. Flat taxes are not working. Not investing in the economy and expecting exports to lift all our boats is not working. The accumulation of three years of austerity has not fixed the economy but, more importantly, it has pushed many families into poverty.
And this Government says it plans four more years of the same. And it will do all of this in breach of election promises and other commitments made by Fine Gael and Labour.
There is an alternative. There is a different and fairer way to end the recession. Sinn Féin spelt this out in our pre-Budget submission. It is focussed on economic recovery based on fair taxes, investing in jobs, debt restructuring and growing the all-Ireland economy.
Sinn Féin’s pre-Budget submission is about protecting public services and those on low incomes and middle incomes. We have shown that this can be done through taxing wealth, eliminating wasteful public spending, stimulating the economy, and tackling exorbitant salaries in the public sector.
How we face this crisis is all about choices.

An Phoblacht – even better in 2012

With republicanism growing in electoral and political strength right across Ireland, Sinn Féin aims to consolidate and build upon this growth and the party newspaper An Phoblacht will play a central role in the work that lies ahead.
With this in mind and with a view to making the paper appeal to ever-greater numbers of people, An Phoblacht has recently assessed the role, content and emphasis of the paper and now plans to introduce a range of improvements over the course of 2012.
We are looking to carry more investigative stories on the burning issues in today’s Ireland as a feature of An Phoblacht in the year ahead.
An Phoblacht has always been a platform for debating political, social and economic issues. We want to strengthen this role by further opening up our pages to a wider range of individuals and groups in society.
We also aim to have greater coverage of popular culture, as well as book reviews and expanded sports coverage.
Our ever-popular historical and commemorative pieces, altanna Gaeilge, interviews and news from around the 32 Counties will continue.
An Phoblacht strives to bring you, our readers, a quality publication and we look forward to your continued support and engagement in 2012.