Quinn defends stag vote as chance to topple Coalition
FORMER Labour leader Ruairi Quinn last night justified his party's decision to vote against the stag hunting ban by saying it was an opportunity to bring the Government down.
But he confirmed the statement made by his party leader Eamon Gilmore that it would not overturn the ban if it got into Government -- a position the party had not previously disclosed.
"We certainly would seek to have it properly amended and approved but we are not in favour of returning to the status quo before last week," he said.
In the Dail last week, Labour's chief speaker Willie Penrose had not revealed this stance and had concentrated instead on condemning the ban as an attack on rural Ireland.
But Mr Quinn said one of the reasons his party had last week voted against the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill, to outlaw deer hunting with packs of dogs, was because it was a chance to bring down the Government.
"One of the duties of the opposition in good times is to hold the Government to account.
"In times of crisis, it is to bring down the Government as quickly as possible. We would have been derelict in our duty if we hadn't," he said.
Fig leaf
Mr Quinn also said the bill was contradictory and was a "fig leaf" for the Green Party which Labour did not want to go along with. He denied that Labour's opposition had been motivated by a desire to attract more rural voters.
"We already have the rural voters. For many years we were told we had too many rural TDs and not enough urban TDs," he said.
Justice Minister Dermot Ahern criticised Labour yesterday over its stance on the stag-hunting legislation, saying the party had carried out a U-turn which was the "height of hypocrisy".
Party leader Eamon Gilmore, Mr Quinn and other Labour TDs had previously stated their opposition to blood sports, including stag hunting.
Mr Quinn was speaking after his party launched its proposals to increase the role of the Dail and Seanad in EU affairs in the wake of the passage of the Lisbon Treaty referendum. A committee is examining how to implement the treaty's promises to make the EU more democratically accountable to national parliaments.
Labour European Affairs spokesman Joe Costello said the reforms needed included better scrutiny of EU proposals by the Dail and Seanad and a full Dail week devoted to European affairs centred around Europe Day on May 9.
- Michael Brennan Political Correspondent
Irish Independent
