Poll Positions
Issued on April 23, 2011 at 12:26 PM
Ballot Box
The forthcoming Assembly elections present a major opportunity for democratic engagement between the people of Northern Ireland and those charged with exercising power and influence on their behalf.
While Union members in Northern Ireland will undoubtedly have many concerns of their own to put to the candidates, IBOA The Finance Union offers the following suggestions for questions members might ask prospective Assembly members:
- Will you support a change in the culture of the financial services sector to restore key values such as prudence, integrity and stability; and to ensure that service to customers becomes the hallmark of all institutions based in Northern Ireland?
- Will you support the utilisation of all appropriate avenues to impress upon the Republic's Minister for Finance the importance of ensuring full consultation with stakeholders in Northern Ireland on any decisions relating to the restructuring of financial institutions in which the Irish State has a major shareholding?
- Will you support representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to take appropriate steps to ensure the introduction of remuneration policies in the financial services sector which reward prudent and sustainable growth in the long term rather than excessive profit-taking in the short term?
- Will you ensure that essential public services such as health and education remain free at the point of need, under public control and properly funded?
- Will you ensure that older people can live with dignity on decent pensions?
- Will you ensure that the most vulnerable in society do not become soft targets for public expenditure cuts which would reduce still further their already impoverished living standards?
- Will you support policies to develop sustainable quality employment in the private sector, especially for young people?
- Will you support strong action to prevent tax evasion and avoidance - especially by wealthy individuals and large corporations - in order to ensure that the richest pay their fair share of the tax burden?
