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Does Green=Clean?
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All the parties and the news media have been going on about Bertiegate and how the people need answers. But do people really care about it? Is it as big an issue as the media and politicians think? I not convinced but the Green party are and they have outlined policies aimed at lessening corruption and increasing respect for politics in this country.
The Green Party is committed to bringing expanded powers closer to citizens at regional and local government level. Many of the functions of national government can be provided more efficiently at a regional level.
Anyone who knows of the nod and a wink politics that happens at local level can not be anything but scared at that proposal.
The introduction of state funding for political parties based on electoral results and a ban on corporate, institutional or foreign donations.
Firstly this part is very unfair. By giving the funding based on electoral results, this is obviously going to be of greater benefit to the larger parties and stifle the ability of smaller parties to grow and get representation. I am guessing the “foreign donations” are specifically aimed at Sinn Fein, who get large amounts of money from America.
The removal of the Taoiseach’s entitlement to call an early election—a right frequently invoked for party political gain.
All I have to say to this is, what?! Note the word election, i.e., the people decided. Are they saying that the people should only be allow to have their say when it suits the opposition? All I can say is it is bull.
A reduction in the number of TDs from 166 to 130 and reform of the electoral procedure so that a proportion of TDs would be elected from national party lists
This is not a bad idea and certainly something SOS would approve of. As for the party, it might benefit the more ideological parties more than the bigger: “I don’t like the party but the local guy is good”
An increase in the Dáil’s working calendar from approximately 90 days to 45 weeks, with sittings becoming more family-friendly—running from Monday afternoons to Friday lunchtimes with no more late-night sittings.
Certainly an interesting idea, but if it means more hackery debates instead of work actually being done, it might be worse then the present situation.
The establishment of a link between TDs’ participation in Oireachtas votes and their entitlement to expenses
This is very unfair to non-Dublin TDs. They are the ones that need the most expenses, yet have the greatest difficulty going to the Dail. Why would someone travelling from Dublin to the Dail be entitled to the same expenses as someone travelling from Donegal?
Making the Seanad fully and publically elected on a regional basis, including constituencies for Irish citizens in Northern Ireland and the rest of the world.
No taxation without representation goes both ways. Establishing a few immergrant senators
The shortening of the Presidential term from seven-years to five, the introduction of a two-term limit; requiring that the President make annual “State of the Nation” speeches and meet regularly with a statutory Council of State.
State of the Nation speeches. Ah why? What does the president do? How about the Taoiseach make a State of the Nation instead?
The introduction of “citizens’ initiatives” to allow for popular nominations of presidential candidates and for referendums to amend the Constitution.
Fair enough, bring in petitions.
The establishment of a five-year electoral cycle with a set annual voting day.
Again this is like the early elections above bull.
The introduction of a None of the Above option on ballot papers.
Actually, an interesting idea.
An overhaul of the archaic voter registration system; extension of postal voting; and the guarantee of a systematic paper trail for electronic voting.
Without details about what they would do, I can’t say much.
A change in the Constitution so that anyone over 18 can stand as a candidate for any elected office in the State and a reduction in the age limits in local elections to enfranchise voters and candidates who are at least 16 years old.
Adam wrote about this earlier.
Well at present the people are only allowed have their say when it suits the Government. Having the power to set the date of the election is an inbuilt advantage for the parties in government.
Do you mean more scrutiny of legislation instead of sorting out medical cards?
scrutiny of legislation
Scrutinary of legislation would be great. But does not always happen. Look at the debate over the statutory rape case. More time was spent on giving out about the government then actually scrutinising the legislation.
Well at present the people are only allowed have their say when it suits the Government. Not at all they get to vote every 5 years whether it suits the government or not.
If the government calls an election and the people vote them back in whats the problem. Are you saying that the people don’t have a right to say what they want. They vote in the government for 5 years giving the government the right to call early elections if they so wish. The greens seem to be saying you can vote every 5 years only
Also remember not everytime the taoiseach has called an early election have the government won.
Certainly an interesting idea, but if it means more hackery debates instead of work actually being done, it might be worse then the present situation.
Why do you think it would cause that? I can’t see any grounds for that kind of thinking.
I don’t think you finished this. Anyway, immigrants have a method to get a vote: citizenship. Is there any country in the world that extends voting rights within its borders to non-citizens? (European elections don’t count, because they’re dependent on EU citizenship, not national citizenship) Should somebody over here on a holiday be able to vote for a “immigrant senator” just because they’re in the country at the right time? After all, they’re being taxed.
Yup, this is a somewhat better idea than having the President do it. After all, she has no executive power and so little influence of national policy.
As you said, we have this already.
Depends on what they mean by day. If they mean that elections ought to be held on a set day of the week, say Saturday, then it’s a good idea; if they mean they ought to be on a set day of the year, it’s a bad idea. Of course, they could mean it to be scheduled like the bank holidays, and that would be a sane proposal.
@Joe:
It is, and it ought to be restricted a little, but I don’t think the Taoiseach’s right to call an early election is a bad one, per se. Rather, once the Taoiseach calls for an election, it ought to be held x number of months after the announcement.
No, he’s saying that the Taoiseach shouldn’t be allowed to use that right to manipulate the electorate. Don’t confuse that the Greens are saying with what Joe’s saying.
should have finished 2Establishing a few immergrant senators” with “might be better”
if they mean they ought to be on a set day of the year, it’s a bad idea. That is what I took it up as. Maybe they do mean a day.
No, he’s saying that the Taoiseach shouldn’t be allowed to use that right to manipulate the electorate That is what I was repling too Sorry if unclear. we vote in the government giving them the right to call an early election.
Even then the Government gets to set the date.
Non sequitur of the day - where have I said or even suggested that the people shouldn’t vote a government back in if they so wish? The issue is whether the government parties should have the advantage over the opposition parties of knowing the exact date of an election well in advance.
Where did I say that knowing the date of the election guarantees victory?
Fair enough
Haven’t had a chance to read this article in full, but it doesn’t quite make sense to me (the bit about lowering ages in election etc.)
Why would you lower the age to run for office to 18 and then lower the voting age to 16? Doesn’t that simply shift the anomalies to a different age group? As was said in a comment on the post before, the current setup creates a democratic deficiency; this would remain under Green plans.
Irish immigrants have way more voting rights than Canadian ones.
EU nationals vote in local, national and EU but not Presidential or Constitutional.
Non-EU residents vote in local and national - they can even stand for office like that guy in Galway.
In Canada, no citizenship, no vote for anything, not even local dogcatcher.