Did senator mislead voters or ‘change her mind’?

RTÉ News At One presenter Bryan Dobson yesterday interviewed Barry Cowen, the Offaly TD who will be running alongside Senator Lisa Chambers in the European elections. DOBSON: Lisa Chambers actually campaigned for a Yes vote but voted No on the day. Is that at all acceptable?

COWEN: Anybody and everybody’s entitled to change their mind when they see fit. They can answer for themselves as to the reasons why they did or didn’t. That’s for them to respond to. Like I said, you know, when I canvass for something, I usually, I always vote for it. But others may do differently.

DOBSON: But Deputy Cowen, the party’s position was to support the amendments, the Leader in the Seanad campaigned for a Yes vote but voted No. Now does that make her position, her leadership role, at all tenable? COWEN: No, I don’t believe so. You know, that’s a matter for Government but I expect she’ll retain her position.

DOBSON: Is it hypocrisy?

COWEN: Some may call it that, as I said to you, I think it’s better if the people respond directly to your own questions. They are entitled to change their mind as they see fit. I personally, as I said to you, committed to voting Yes-Yes. I voted Yes-Yes. I respect and appreciate the decision of the public who have said emphatically to all parties and those who campaigned for the wording that was provided that you know, see governments and parties have to recognise...

DOBSON: But you see, Deputy Cowen, you’re sharing a Fianna Fáil Euro election ticket with Lisa Chambers, you will be asking voters in that election to give her a preference. I presume you’ll be asking for the first preference for yourself, but you’d be asking voters to give her a preference even though she, Lisa Chambers, arguably misled voters in these referendums.

COWEN: I wouldn’t say she misled voters. She gave a commitment. She went out and canvassed for Yes, she changed her mind. She has explained it herself in her own way and that’s for her to do; in relation to the job at hand now is to recognise that campaigns matter, you have to work as a party effectively to ensure...

DOBSON: Yeah sorry she changed her mind and she didn’t tell the voters that she changed her mind. Now that is to mislead the voter, isn’t it?

COWEN: Well look, that’s a decision she made, you know, and she made it very late in the day and she has responded after the event, and you know, if you wish to ask her to respond again to that fact, you may do so but I certainly can’t answer for her.

DOBSON: I’m asking you to respond to the fact that you’re going to share a Fianna Fail ticket in this Euro election campaign and you’re asking voters who were misled by her on this referendum, you’re asking them, you will be asking them to give her a preference.

COWEN: I will and you know, we will begin and have begun our campaign in relation to the European elections and their, you know, their policies and clear priorities as distinct from other parties that we will be offering the electorate and the electorate will adjudicate on that offering and make their decisions thereafter.

DOBSON: How credible is your position then as a candidate in these elections to ask voters to support somebody who has acted in this hypocritical way?

COWEN: I, you know, I have the authority at the membership of the organisation to go before the electorate and represent my party in this election.