Alan Kelly accuses Opposition of ‘populist rhetoric’

Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly has accused some mainstream parties, smaller parties and Independents of proposing populist policies that are "incredible, impossible and unachievable".

He said members of the Opposition were attempting to fool the electorate.

“There is a populist rhetoric out there from some mainstream parties, smaller parties and Independents that is Utopian in nature and impossible to achieve, absolutely impossible.

“And the more you delve through that, the more you contradict that, the more that you show that that is absolutely incredible, impossible, unachievable, the more people will realise that what we are saying is right and they’ll connect with it.”

Mr Kelly was speaking at a workshop entitled 'Standing up for working people' at the Labour national conference in Mullingar, Co Westmeath on Saturday.

“It’s also critical that we show the differentiation of the Labour Party,” he said.

“If you believe in everything you believe in nothing. You don’t stand on any principle, you don’t actually believe in anything that’s distinguishable, you’ve just saying what people want to hear in order to try and gain electoral gain and you’re actually just fooling the people.”