Fine Gael TD, Lucinda Creighton made a strong but somewhat bizarre defence of the upcoming Lisbon Treaty referendum (Marian Finucane Show, Sunday 27th April).
“I wouldn’t advise anybody to form a judgement on the basis of reading the Treaty…It’s a legal text and very, very complex. There are a number of comprehensible summaries available.”
Are you saying that while the peasants can’t understand the document the important people can and that all will be well – suggested Marian.
“It’s a legal text, most right minded people are not qualified as lawyers (She’s right there) to read and interpret it but it must be that way so it can be interpreted by the courts.
That’s the way it has to be and that’s the way it has been and that’s the way it was when we joined the EEC.” (And so it shall always be for ever and ever, Amen).”
Ms. Creighton’s argument seems to be that because the Treaty is a legal document it is by definition a very complex document and voters will just have to believe what the politicians and bureaucrats tell them.
But the Treaty is actually a rehash of the EU Constitution that the French and Dutch threw out. According to businessman Ulick McEvaddy, who is voting No in the referendum, the Treaty represents 95% of the rejected EU Constitution.
Ms. Creighton didn’t say whether the failed constitution was a legal document or not. Neither did she enlighten listeners as to what exactly is contained in the 5% difference between the two documents that makes such a critical difference. I guess we just have to trust her.
Apparently Ms. Creighton has issued a statement on the referendum campaign in which she claims that the United States Homeland Security Department is secretly campaigning against the Treaty. According to Ms. Creighton the United States is opposed to political integration between European states.
She also claims that McEvaddy and another businessman who have business links with the US military are part of the plot.
When the discussion moved on to the question of why all other EU citizens are being denied a vote on the Treaty, Ms. Creighton began to rant on about Hitler and the abuse of plebiscites in the 1930s.
It was then I decided it was time for a cup of tea.