At a well-attended meeting of party activists in Murphy-Floods Hotel (Tues Sept 24) Cllr John Dwyer strongly condemned the governments failure to be honest with the electorate.
Cllr Dwyer said: "The State is currently going through a second referendum on the Treaty of Nice on which we have already voted. It is a second general election we need, not a re-run of Nice, because the government secured office under false pretences.
"The Government is fooling itself if it believes that the revelations of cutbacks in public spending will not impact on the Nice referendum. People should vote on the basis of the content of the Treaty and on that basis they should Vote No. But trust is also an issue.
"The Government asked people to trust them that there would be no cutbacks. They asked people to trust them that they would implement their decision on Nice 1. They asked them to trust them with Irish neutrality. Having failed to keep trust with the electorate they cannot now expect them to ignore that record."
"Residents of New Ross, including myself have this week observed American Air Force planes passing overhead in the early hours of the morning. This is extremely sinister and deeply disturbing," said Cllr Dwyer. "This activity, coupled with last weeks largest ever military manouevres of the Rapid Reaction Force in the Glen of Imaal in Wicklow, clearly illustrates that the government is merely paying lip service to the notion of Irish Neutrality. This government suffers from a serious deficit of trust which is turning into real public anger".
Sinn Féin spokesperson on the Nice Treaty, David Forde condemned the wording of some government posters as "A blatant attempt to misrepresent this campaign and to cause deliberate confusion in voters minds".
Mr. Forde said: " For the government to display posters which state: 'We're better off in Europe' is a deliberate and blatant attempt to misrepresent the issue. This referendum is not about our membership of the EU, and it is dishonest of the government to attempt to present it as such. It is simply about whether we wish to change the EU as it presently stands. If we say NO, then everything stays the same and we protect our voice in Europe which would be seriously weakened by passing this treaty."
"Sinn Féin will be bringing the truth of this referendum which the people have already rejected, back to the doorsteps in Wexford. We are confident that the decision of the people last year will be re-confirmed at the polls on the 19th of October".
