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Labor leader Alan Kelly criticized Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s fiscal policies for the wealthy, indicating further rejection of his attempts to lure his party into government.
Later this week, Labor TDs and senators will discuss the largest parties’ latest attempt to lure them into a coalition, following a joint letter from Leo Varadkar of Fine Gael and Micheál Martin of Fianna Fáil. The five-page letter, while admitting that the country “cannot get out of the crisis” and promising that there will be no cuts, did not satisfy labor concerns about spending.
Kelly told RTÉ: “Your tax-related problems do not withstand scrutiny in which a government can unilaterally agree not to raise taxes for wealthy people over the next government or even the issue of an effective corporate tax.”
However, Kelly praised the other two parties for agreeing to implement agreed public sector wage increases, despite the economic crisis of the pandemic.
Kelly noted that the letter did not come from the Greens, the third now involved in the coalition talks.
In a previous statement, the Labor leader noted that all three parties should continue the negotiation process, potentially without the participation of Labor. This would reflect the sentiments of party members, many of whom strongly oppose Labor re-entering a coalition and instead want the party to focus on its recovery from the opposition.
Mr. Kelly explained: “There are four parties with more TDs in the Dáil than the Labor Party, and three of them can form a government with a majority. Detailed negotiations on government formation are now taking place between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party.
“And if it succeeds, it would have a majority in the Dáil. We respect the mandate of the participants, and for now they must be given the space and time to reach a conclusion.”
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