Disappointing.
The GAA congress on Saturday morning started encouragingly. Passing motion 1 to ban all sponsorship from betting companies, the GAA took a huge step in the right direction.
The vote was passed by 93 per cent of the delegates. However, a motion tabled by Liam Griffin, a former Wexford All-Ireland winning manager, looking to provide greater transparency in the voting process of the GAA congress, was comprehensively defeated.
Motion 22 read “this motion from Wexford club St. Mary’s Rosslare proposes that each delegate’s vote on all motions at Annual or Special Congress shall be recorded and published in the minutes thereafter.”
Speaking in support, Griffin said: “We believe it’s in the interest of the organisation that the GAA is transparent and accountable.”
However, there were dissenting voices. Tracey Kennedy, the Cork chairperson, said:
“This motion suggests that there is something fundamentally wrong at the heart of the Association,” while Europe delegated Tony Bass feared it would lead to “vilification and witch hunts.”
83 per cent of delegates voted against. Griffin this week urged delegates to pass the motion in his quest for honesty and openness within the GAA but, having been rebuffed, the response on social media seemed to be heavily in the founding CPA member’s favour.
It's these little things that make the GAA so frustrating. Closed and suspicious instead of being open and transparent.
— John Coleman (@colemanajohn) February 24, 2018
ridiculous!! Must be a few up there voting against their county's wishes so. What are they so afraid of?
— Syl Barron (@SylBarron92) February 24, 2018
Good God what are these dinosaurs afraid of? Keep at it lads don’t let this defeat be the end but the beginning of bringing the organization into a modern Ireland
— Peter Dineen (@Coachfordnews) February 24, 2018
https://twitter.com/Woolberto/status/967417127606071302
17 per cent of Congress votes for transparency in their voting. That tells you absolutely everything you need to know about that #GAA
— Cahair O'Kane (@CahairOKane1) February 24, 2018
Transparency in the voting process was the topic of a fascinating discussion on The GAA Hour football show this week, with the panel divided on the benefits of passing.
“This is about across the board transparency,” host Colm Parkinson said.
“Why have that suspicion when it can be fixed? Frank Murphy, which will surprise absolutely nobody, was against it, saying it was impractical. He said we know where that motion is coming from, from ‘that crowd.’ This attitude against the CPA, which is representing club players, is really disappointing.”
“This isn’t how democracy works around the world,” Conán Doherty offered in response. “There is a sanctity in the ballot booth, being able to vote in secret and people there in Congress are there to represent so they’re entrusted to do that. You might get swayed in the bar room the night before but you might get equally swayed with the perception of what people are thinking.”
You can listen to more of that discussion from the show below. The transparency debate is the first thing discussed.
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