Order of Business - 1st October 2008

Order of Business - 1st October 2008
Senator David Norris: I am a little surprised to come back to the House and hear what seem to be echoes of the American Congress debate, which I thought was disgraceful, particularly the behaviour of the Republicans. George Bush was a rotten President and has now shown he cannot even deliver his own maggoty troops and Mr. Mc Cain is a person who has fought for the past 20 years against any regulation in the financial industry. If the Americans put Mr. McCain in as President, they will deserve every financial calamity that occurs and every foreign policy result. This crisis all came about through greed and started with people like Thatcher and Bush.
I have not yet had an opportunity to look at the Bill, but I hope there will something in it to protect the homes of the people. A number of people here - mine was not the only voice - spoke about the dangers of giving excessive mortgages of 100% or 110% and the danger of negative equity. Now people are caught and there have been repossessions. Some 126 orders were granted in the past year for the repossession of homes by financial institutions and 104 went to the Circuit Court. This must stop. If taxpayers are bailing out the financial institutions, ordinary, decent, working people, who were squeezed by them when they did not give a damn about their customers, must be protected.
I wish to raise one other issue. We have often spent time discussing the Middle East.
An Cathaoirleach: The Senator made a personal remark relating to the President of another country. Those people are elected by the people of the relevant country.
Senator David Norris: There is a question mark about that. President Bush should be impeached and is guilty of war crimes. There are many people in this House who would agree with that. The sooner he is gone the better.
An Cathaoirleach: We are on the Order of Business, not discussing the American President.
Senator David Norris: I know, but I will defend my right to attack Bush in the interests of decency and international law.
An Cathaoirleach: We will take questions to the Leader. The time is almost up.
Senator David Norris: I indicated I have a question about foreign affairs for the Leader. This concerns the Middle East, in particular the situation in Iraq, where Mr. Bush has also stuck his jammy little fingers in to disastrous effect and has installed a puppet regime there.
An Cathaoirleach: Please put a question on the Order of Business.
Senator David Norris: A member of the Iraqi Parliament who visited Israel in order to understand the people so opposed to him has had his immunity lifted. On his previous visit to Israel, his two sons were assassinated in a bomb attack aimed at him. We need a debate on this issue. I would welcome if we could send a protest to the Iraqi Parliament. People need to meet on these sensitive issues to discuss them. The man in question is Mithal Alusi and I heard him on the BBC World Service. The rights of parliamentarians must be maintained in the interest of proper diplomacy.