Late Late Show Sidelines Anti Bin Tax Campaigners

Joint Statement - 16th October 2003
· Dublin City Campaign Against the Bin Charges· Dun Laoghaire/ Rathdown Campaign Against Service Charges· South Dublin Campaign Against Refuse Charges· Fingal Anti Bin Tax Campaign

Late Late Show Sidelines Bin Tax Campaigners

This Fridays Late Late Show on the controversial Bin Charges is unfair and undemocratic in format.

Late Late Show Sidelines Bin Tax Campaigners

This Fridays Late Late Show on the controversial Bin Charges is unfair and undemocratic in format.

The Minister for the Environment is to be interviewed by Pat Kenny while those opposing the Bin Tax are consigned to the audience.

The four Anti Bin Tax Campaigns in Dublin do not feel this is a balanced contest. We can challenge the Minister’s arguments of the last week if we are given the same time and platform as he is. This is not possible with a roving microphone picking up sound bites from the audience.

The Campaigns believe the best way to debate the issues would have been to have a head to head debate between the Minister and Joe Higgins T.D. next week. When this was rejected we were led to believe there would be a panel of four people debating the issue. Now we find the Minister is to be given a platform on his own.

For the last month Joe Higgins and Clare Daly have been gagged, unable to answer the Government propaganda from prison. They are now being gagged again by the Late Late Show. The question has to be asked why the State Broadcaster is censoring the Anti Bin Tax Campaign. Have they been got at by the Government?

We call for a format with a fair and balanced panel to debate the environment, taxation and political issues around the bin charges.