Kilkenny’s former junior minister John McGuinness has pledged that he will not be downtrodden as a result of the Taoiseach’s decision to axe him as Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Enterprise and he added that he would hope to be back in a ministerial role once again in the future.
Speaking to the Kilkenny Advertiser yesterday, Deputy McGuinness said that although he was shocked and hurt at Brian Cowen’s decision to leave him out of his new junior cabinet of 15 ministers, he accepted the Taoiseach’s decision.
“I have had my knocks in the past and this is a hard one but I feel more sorry for my family, my employees and for the constituency which is now left without a representative at ministerial level which is not good.”
He was surprised at the cross party support that has been offered to him following the shock announcement on Wednesday last with members of the opposition and sparring partners within his own party coming out with words of sympathy and regret.
It is widely believed that the outspoken politician lost his job as a result of his unreserved and vocal opinions expressed in the past on the public sector and on other issues such as his views on the budget last year.
“I have no regrets about speaking out. This is my job. I must be a voice for the marginalised in our society and I must speak out about what I believe in. It’s not my job to sit on my hands and leave my brain outside Leinster House. We all need to speak out when necessary - this is part of the job of representing the people.”
Deputy McGuinness is now getting ready to return to Dail Eireann as a TD and return to work with the man that de-moted him from his position. However, he doesn’t have any bad feeling towards the Taoiseach he says.
“My style of politics doesn’t suit everybody. My relationship with Brian Cowen will be fine. His opinions differ from mine on certain policies but I don’t think he would question my work ethic. Of course I will work with him in order to change the direction and substance of policy. I will work within the party to do this.”
Asked whether this decision by the Taoiseach may have a negative effect on the electorate in Carlow Kilkenny who will be going out to vote on June 6 next, Deputy McGuinness said that the job of mending fences was the first one to tackle with the electorate.
“People have a view and they will express it - voting differently might be their way but I will be encouraging people to continue to vote for me and for the Fianna Fail councillors on election day. I need the support of the people if I am to be able to be there and reflect their opinions at government level.”
He also inferred that although this was a negative blip in his political career that he would envisage himself back as a minister in the future.
“ I always have hope for the future, whether it is Brian Cowen as Taoiseach or someone else. I will build up my national profile. I will never give up. I will take what’s given to me but I will never give up and I do hope that I will be a minister once again in the future,” he concluded.
