Cox warned over bid to vote against finance bill

GOVERNMENT chief whip Tom Kitt yesterday said he would “officially warn” Galway Fianna Fáil Senator Margaret Cox for attempting to vote against the Finance Bill in the Seanad.

But Mr Kitt said he would stop short of removing the party whip from Senator Cox because she technically did not vote against the Government.

Other sources within the party suggested that Ms Cox, through her act of defiance, was “angling” to be expelled from the parliamentary party. But Ms Cox said yesterday that her stance had been taken on a point of principle.

Though she tired to force a vote, Ms Cox was unsuccessful as she was unable to find a second teller within the permitted time to enable a vote to be taken. Her actions astonished Finance Minister Brian Cowen who was steering the legislation through the upper House.

Ms Cox was one of two Fianna Fáil backbench senators who became involved in a mini-rebellion on Wednesday.

Liam Fitzgerald resigned from the parliamentary party in protest over party selection policy in his Dublin north-east constituency.

In his letter of resignation to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, he complained about the party setting aside democratic principles by not holding a convention. Party headquarters chose the two outgoing TDs Martin Brady and Michael Woods as the FF candidates.

Yesterday, Ms Cox stood over her decision to try to force a vote against her own Government’s Finance Bill, over the coalition’s alleged favouritism for the eastern region over the western region.

“I have no regrets. The issue is too important,” she told the Irish Examiner.

“I was very clear when I called for a vote what the consequences were.”

Ms Cox was summoned to a meeting by Mr Kitt yesterday where he indicated that it was a serious matter and that disciplinary action would be taken against her.

If she had succeeded in voting against the Government, she would have automatically lost the whip.

Under the circumstances, because there was no technical breach, she was reprimanded.

Senator Cox was a Dáil candidate in Galway West in 2002 but failed to win a seat.

She decided not to stand for this year’s election and said yesterday she needed to reflect on standing for Seanad Eireann again.