QuoteThe Green Party have agreed to go into the government with Fianna Fail with 86.81% of members in favour of it.
[QUOTE=OneRedArmy;702768]
But its very easy to spend your whole political life on the opposition benches sniping and poking holes, without actually having the responsibility of Government.[/QUOTE
And Sinn Fein have the best snipers of all.....
"I just came in to buy a stamp"-Padraig Pearse, April 24th 1916
The Green Party have agreed to go into the government with Fianna Fail with 86.81% of members in favour of it.
Life without Rovers, it makes no sense...it's a heartache...nothing but a fools game. S.R.F.C.
PDs also in.
Aertel confirms Sergeant's resignation, although he's formally staying on until a replacement is found. Says they'll be fighting the M3 motorway route/plan.
Stupid comparison Stu, surprised at you. Not to mention the obvious question of whos shoes would you rather be in right now, UCD's or Shels?Originally Posted by pineapple stu
The Greens quickness to jump into bed with right wing parties will mean that they will forever be on the margins and never be in a position to implement any of their programme as it simply won't happen on the basis of six seats. A real party who wanted to grow in opposityion would not be simply sitting on their hands waiting for elections. I'm not expectin the Greens to ever become a mass party, just illustrating exactly why they won't.
TO TELL THE TRUTH IS REVOLUTIONARY
The ONLY foot.ie user with a type of logic named after them!
All of this has happened before. All of it will happen again.
Left and right wing are relative concepts BP. As a socialist everyone is right wing to you! You view FF, Lab, FG (not to mention the PDs) as shades of the same colour (all presumably right wing). Therefore in your world only an absolute Green majority, in the absence of Ireland re-discovering socialism again, would allow them to govern.
I admire you sticking to your convictions but a bit of realpolitik wouldn't go amiss.
For the greens perhaps. They had a little niche, now they've lost it. going into government at a time that even Bertie is warning of rough economic waters is not cleverest of moves.
TO TELL THE TRUTH IS REVOLUTIONARY
The ONLY foot.ie user with a type of logic named after them!
All of this has happened before. All of it will happen again.
The greens have sold ou, for power. Their finished at the next election.
It was in his conference address this year wasn't it? The same conference that Gormley had his rant about not living on "Planet Bertie". Still, it got them the FG/Labour transfers, that was the main thing, that got them into Government with FF...
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
The same transfers they pick up at every election?
The Greens have always got transfers from everywhere, nothing different this time.
It's definitely a dangerous strategy they have followed, and only time will tell. Especially with darker economic clouds on the horizon and the risk that Bertie will put the blame on the Greens and their Carbon Tax and "Business-unfriendly" approach. (Much as the PD's copped the voter ire for the state of the Health Service.) There are a number of voters who will feel let-down by this deal, and they won't be as 'transfer-friendly' in the next election (but will still be to some extent). The 'anyone but FF' vote will be lost, but they all voted FG anyway.
But on the other hand, I think the mentality of the typical Green voter is different. It is not as much a protest vote as a vote to get their policies implemented. I voted Green at this election and will do so again, and while I am far from blown over by the deal I agree with the pragmatic approach that is better to get something done than the alternative which was sit on the oppposition benches while the PD's and Indos prop up FF for another 5 years. The Greens are still perceived as a niche party, whereas in truth they have as comprehensive a manifesto as any other party, and it is possible that this will allow them to break out of that niche.
Amen to that.
Life is rarely about perfection or absolutes.
For the most part yes, and then transferred to Labour and the Greens. For a party that relies on transfers they now have no option but to deliver, as FF transfers only really go to FF...
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
Why do people assume the Green have "sold out"? At the end of the day they will only make up a small fraction of the government and therefore can only implement a small fraction of their policy. The Green Party have the choice to try and impact on evironmental policy (their primary aim) at a crucial time or to sit outside and have no impact. Given the problems with climate change they're not a party to can afford to wait on the sidelines. I'm not saying they will single handedly halt global warming but from a Green perspective what's the point in waiting to grow in opposition for decades when it's too late to do anything about their primary concern?
I was thinking the same way. FF will take credit for the good Green policies & dodge the bad ones. FF blamed the PDs for the Health Service but took credit for the PDs lower tax policies.
Its plain to see the Green Party gave up on some of the less important policies.
There are feck all votes in Shannon & the M3 Motorway so dropping them was good politics.
I think this could be the end of the cuddly Greens getting loads of transfers as they have grown up into serious party. If they want to survive they need to own a successful area of government policy & need to stop FF from trying to take credit. At the moment I can't see any area is ripe for this.
Best of luck to the Greens. Staying in opposition and sniping from the sidelines is best left (sic) to Labour. As far as I'm concerned any decision that leaves Patricia McKenna in tears is a good decision.
I'm pretty happy with how things have worked out. Shannon and Tara are non-issues, transport, local government, climate change etc are real issues where the Greens can make a real difference in government.
A combination of FF's ability to get things done coupled with these commitments http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0613/greendocu.html is good news from my point of view.
KOH
No One Likes Us, We Don't Care
Good to know that the Greens value there voters anyway, going against most of what the party stood for. As someone said above, they're finished at the next election.
Life without Rovers, it makes no sense...it's a heartache...nothing but a fools game. S.R.F.C.
My vote stopped at Dan Boyle and i was disappointed he didn't get in.
However, I'm very disappointed at what GP accepted.
I wouldn't say he won't get a preference off me next time because i know damn well SF and Labour would also have jumped given the chance.
However, I'll be a bit more cynical towards them.
Going to look after the independents first.
City definetly have the best bands playing at half-time.
O'Bama - "Eerah yeah, I'd say we can alright!"
G.O'Mahoney Trapattoni'll sort ém out!!
Risteard and Sligoman, if (and I know it's a big if) the Greens manage to get most or even some of this implemented http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0613/greendocu.html how in the name of muesli is it going against the wishes of their voters?
Likewise, if they didn't go into government they would get zero of their policies implemented. How would that be good for their voters?
KOH
No One Likes Us, We Don't Care
Radical proposal, but it may be an idea to give the Greens a while before you judge how much they've achieved.
Its verging on comical that some people on here have already decided not to vote for them in 5 years, before they have even had the ministerial seal granted.....
Risteard, you are voting for who you want to represent you, not who you want in opposition. I can't help but think you've managed to mix the two up.
Sounds like something out of the Village movie.Require carbon offsetting of all official air travel in support of urban forests.
FF must have tried to resist that. Might be the subject of discussion in the Galway races tents next year...Introduce new national building standards in 2007 to ensure that new housing has 40% lower heat energy demand than existing building standards and revise them again in 2010 to achieve a 60% target in further years.
Hippies & New Age Travellers to get increased social welfare.Environmental organisations to become social partners.
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