Green Party participation 'should not be assumed'

[Sligoboy]

With the likelihood of the Green Party being 'kingmakers' in the next Government, is this affecting their judgement with this 'all things to all men' approach to coalitionism.

They have refused any voting pact arrangment with FG/LAb and have now warned ALL parties that its participation in government should "not be assumed"

This was the position of Finance spokesman Dan Boyle yesterday who highlighted Decentralisation as a contentious issue. He accused Fine Gael and Labour of failing to adopt a coherent policy on the issue.

With the Green Party totally opposed to the current decentralisation programme, is it not time that the Greens tack their colours to the mast?

[meriwether]

The Green party should not assume they will be kingmakers.
They should also not assume they will be asked by FG/Lab if in need of seats.
A few independents could be much more attractive.

[Eddiepops]

The Green party should not assume they will be kingmakers.
They should also not assume they will be asked by FG/Lab if in need of seats.
A few independents could be much more attractive.

Ooooh, get her!! We're assuming nothing of course, we're just optimistic. It's far from won, we know that. I do think that the inclusion of the Greens would make for greater coherence of policy and will be more presentable than cobbled together independents for a coalition though.

[meriwether]

The Green party should not assume they will be kingmakers.
They should also not assume they will be asked by FG/Lab if in need of seats.
A few independents could be much more attractive.

Ooooh, get her!! We're assuming nothing of course, we're just optimistic. It's far from won, we know that. I do think that the inclusion of the Greens would make for greater coherence of policy and will be more presentable than cobbled together independents for a coalition though.

I do too.
I would like FG to caolesce with the Greens regardles, and have been asking people to transfer down to them when canvassing. On maturer reflection upon their policies, especially agriculture, I find myself agreeing with them on a lot of things. Once I stopped listening to the ludermans in FF and FG scaremongering, I was able too see that a lot of things have merit.
We shouldn't assume they will coalesce with FG/Lab, but ye shouldn't assume ye will be asked or needed either.

[Jim84]

The Green party should not assume they will be kingmakers.
They should also not assume they will be asked by FG/Lab if in need of seats.
A few independents could be much more attractive.

I can't see Labour going into government with out the Green Party ...

[SPN]

This was the position of Finance spokesman Dan Boyle yesterday who highlighted Decentralisation as a contentious issue. He accused Fine Gael and Labour of failing to adopt a coherent policy on the issue.

With the Green Party totally opposed to the current decentralisation programme, is it not time that the Greens tack their colours to the mast?

The concept of decentralisation being (badly) rolled out by FF/PDs is not sustainable. It is ill thought out and impractical. Whatever about having support services provided from remote offices, the idea of having the policy makers located outside Dublin is a raving bonkers policy from a basic management perspective.

If the plan had some relationship with the National Spatial Policy there might be some argument for driving it on, but it doesn't. It is a purely populist move to garner a few votes in various towns around the Country, and to corner the other major Parties who cannot be seen to "object" to jobs coming to Town A.

As on many other subjects, The Green policies are based on what is best for Ireland Inc in the long term - not on short-term, gombeen, parochial issues.


The Green Party are fully in favour of the implementation of the National Spatial Policy, and the re-balancing of the population away from the East Coast.

The Greens opposition to the half-ar.sed mullocking that McCreevy pretended was a Budget, all those years ago, is based on the fact that it is half-ar.sed mullocking. End Of.

[teaspach]

The Greens cant assume anything.... if they dont support publicly the Allaince for Change they can assume it will cost them seats....have they seen the opinion polls or not