[ILUG] patents again

[Niall Walsh]

John Madden wrote:

>>It's probably time to ask the others who are considering their position 
>>or who have not clarified their positions just where they stand.   Tell 
>>them that in the absence of a clear statement we will do our best to 
>>represent their position based on any comments they have made on record, 
>>or in their absence based on the comments of their party/associates and 
>>that a clear public statement will be required before we will 
>>re-evaluate positions (e.g. all the Fianna Fail MEPs would be moved to 
>>"in favour" in the absence of any personal public statements to suggest 
>>otherwise but the Independents may not have anything for us to base an 
>>assumption on).
>>
>>    
>>
>No, I wouldn't go down this route. If _they_ make a statement regarding
>their position, then I'd be in favour of putting them into one of the
>clear categories. However, I would be against labeling ministers
>depending on what their party is doing, since it can happen that
>ministers make up their own mind on where they stand on an issue --
>sure, it's not common, but it can happen :)
>
>  
>
So you just let the FF MEPs stay quiet and hence go down as "no 
position"?   If they want to be part of a political party then they 
should expect that it is always assumed that they agree with the party 
line in the absence of a personal public statement to the contrary.  
Live by the sword, die by the sword.

I would rather see Political Parties removed from the Ballot Papers and 
each individual standing on their own two feet for election, but that is 
not the system we have.  Under the system we have I think it is more 
then fair to assume that someone follows their party position in absence 
of a statement to the contrary (when they are given a chance to make 
such a statement, hence I suggest giving them a last chance, perhaps 
even telling them where we will place them and why so no answer is a 
tacit agreement).

If they have made up their own minds, they should be proud to tell us!

Niall

>- -- 
>Chat ya later,
>
>John.
>  
>