…of the Labour Party. If you send me another piece of campaign literature on Senate headed notepaper or in an Oireachtas prepaid envelope, you’ll be guaranteeing your non-appearance on any ballot card of mine.

I’ve heard all the excuses and had a discussion with Mike Allen about it in 2004, and my opinion remains the same: What you’re doing is theft, right out of my pocket and the pockets of every person in Ireland.

Have a bit of respect for the people and the party you’re supposed to represent, for fuck’s sake.

UPDATE 08/05 11:37: Received another letter in a Dail envelope this morning, with my (renewed) Labour membership card. An incorrect membership card at that. I’ve asked them to send a replacement in an envelope paid for with my membership fee, not my taxes, or a refund.

UPDATE 09/05 15:58: Maman Poulet has received a letter from Green Party candidate David Geary, lobbying for Mr. U-Turn, again in a prepaid Oireachtas envelope. MP takes the time to point out the following section of the Code of Conduct for Office Holders:

Official facilities should be used only for official purposes. Office holders should ensure that their use of officially provided facilities are designed to give the public value for money and to avoid any abuse of the privileges which, undoubtedly, are attached to office.

Lobbying is private party business, not official goverment business. Should we be voting in people who break the rules before the election, never mind after?

UPDATE 13/05 11:37: Phone call from Labour, telling me it’s my fault they didn’t update my constituency when I provided my new address, and that it’s ok to use the Oireachtas envelope because it’s Eamon Gilmore’s. I don’t even understand the logic of that. They also admit that the envelopes are handed over to a private company for the purpose of distributing their membership cards.