Comments on: The Emerging Green Strategy for Remaining in Government

By: steve white

steve white — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:40:24 +0000

gogerty and boyle both with ‘screw our voters’ we’re in now.

the greens are suggesting that people didn’t vote for them cos they don’t care about the environment, and that while there in they’ll do their best for it, despite us wasters, they save the earth, but that isn’t the case, we didn’t vote for them now because of their abandonment of social justice.

By: tipster

tipster — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:03:01 +0000

The Greens getting their say and their way with FF ministries will not be easy. Dermot Ahern has already made that clear with his put-down of an answer to a parliamentary question that sought to get details of the changes John Gormley claimed credit for at the Green Party Conference.

And they can expect FF Ministers to reciprocate. Would Miniter Ryan be happy to see collective government broadband priorities determine that improvements occur first in areas with FF marginal seats or FF ministers keen “to deliver”?

By: simon

simon — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:35:11 +0000

I think you are missing a very big reason people voted the Greens in the last election. And that was they were not Fianna Fail. For many people after FG they were the party least likely to go into power with FF. Now that that has happened. They have totally lost the anti-FF vote. Coupled together with the fact green policy was more a fashion then vocation and really it is snot surprising they are going down hill.

By: Cathal

Cathal — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 16:26:46 +0000

I think the impact of Dan Boyle’s call for a renegotiation of the program of government has been misinterpreted by many commentators.
For the average voter on the street it was obvious that this was a last ditch ploy to save green cllrs around the country by putting distance btw themselves and FF, but was seen for the two faced stunt that it was. Nearly two years in government, the Greens had been willing participants and signed off on many decisions, signified often by their silence or impotency to change them. They would take the perks of office but not the overall responsibilities. Same goes for Gogarty, he resigns as party spokesperson but retains his Oireachtas committee position with generous renumeration. A stunt.

You can use all kinds of subtle arguements about their strategy to take core ownership of just their ministers briefs but only journalists and politicos care about that kind of stuff.
Voters understand collective cabinet responsibility and the Greens have been and will continue to be associated with every bad decision because their very presence makes those decisions possible.

Further, like all small parties, best example being the PDs, the Greens rely completely on transfers for their seats. In the local elections transfers down the ballot deserted the Greens as the floating voter, plus FG and Labour core voters deserted the GP candidates
This is what will signify the end of the parliamentary Green party. Before entry into government with FF, Green candidates atracted transfers from all over, now FG and Labour voters will not give them the necessary transfers which will lead to the loss of all their seats so delivering on their agenda, or anything else that they suddenly decide to be critical will not change this future outcome.
TO win seats in the next general election Green TDs will require upto 4/5 of a quota I reckon to be safe. On top of this they will have to battle with Labour and FG hopefuls who will be odds on to form the next government. Not a good position to be in.