Ireland can do better with Labour - Conference 2007

Posted on February 09, 2007 at 12:04 PM

Pat at the end of his Leader's Speech at the 2006 party conference.

Labour's pre-election conference kicks off with a major session on climate change tonight (Friday February 8th). Broadcaster and environmentalist Duncan Stewart will inform a joint meeting of Labour's National Executive Committee, it's Parliamentary Party and candidates of the challenges facing the globe. Eamon Gilmore, Labour's far-sighted spokesperson on the environment will set out some of responses which Labour in Government would offer. The setting of this item at the start of Labour's pre-election event indicates the seriousness of the issue and the extent to which the Government's failure on this issue creates a serious vulnerability in the coming months.

The Conference proper starts Saturday morning with a session on live TV which will feature many of Labour's heavy-hitters and candidates that will be the household names of the future. Then we go live on TV with Michael D Higgins in full flight during his Party President's Address. The session moves on , building on the "can do better" theme through Better Health, Better Policing, Better Education, and Better Country.

After a well deserved lunch the conference breaks into a range of workshops to look at everything from canvassing skills to policing policy. The flagship workshop will look at policing the police both north and south, with the NI Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan and Conor Brady of the Garda Commission in the Republic joining Deputy Brendan Howlin. Labour Women, Youth and Equality are running a set of cutting edge workshops on Violence against Women; People Trafficking; Shell-2-sea and Military Use of Shannon.

The highlight of the day will be Pat Rabbitte's conference speech in which he is expected to outline his five Commitments for Change in Government and flesh out more of his election thinking. Since being elected as leader in 2002, Rabbitte's conference speeches have featured him at his best, giving him time to be both humorous and thoughtful, to be scathing and to set out his vision. Saturday night's is one not to miss.

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