The Business Post was very excited about the following this weekend:
Removing the USC surcharge for the self-employed, reducing capital gains tax and reinstating a full defence minister are among the options being considered by Fine Gael for inclusion in its manifesto, the Business Post can reveal.
A leaked copy of an internal party circular to candidates and members, seen by this news-paper, shows that Taoiseach Simon Harris's party is cornering its base on 21 key policy areas as speculation grows that the election will be held no later than November 15.
It is clear from the document the party is seeking to position itself as a pro-enterprise, lower tax party on the side of aspirant homeowners.
A sceptical question might be, so what precisely is the change in FG's policy platform then? An even more sceptical question might be, how does this differ from other political parties, not least it's political twin Fianna Fáil?
There's an interesting reference to defence. Notable there was mention of re-establishing a dedicated cabinet position, and another on a 'significantly increase [in] our defence spending to recognise the changing security landscape in Europe'.
Still, what about the dog that hasn't barked? Note that there's no mention of immigration as a significant issue. Can't imagine Fine Gael hasn't been polling - or at a minimum considering what its members think in terms of prioritisation. So how come that's not in the mix, or at least not to the degree that it deserves consideration?
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