Green Party and co-location a deal breaker ?

[MagnificoPaddy]

John Gormley - Green Party Health spokesperson on the Green Party's opposition to co-location.

Less then ten weeks ago John Gormley posted his resolute opposition to co-location .

“I stated quite clearly at our party conference last month that the Green Party, in Government, is strongly opposed to the building of private hospitals on public land and would end any tax breaks that might aid the privatisation of our health service. If in Government with like-minded parties, it is clear that these building projects will very quickly run into difficulties. While we would honour contracts previously signed it would be hugely devious and dishonest of the outgoing Government to rush through these contracts in its final hours.

“The Progressive Democrats and their ideologically flexible allies in Fianna Fail are intent on entrenching inequality. We do not agree on the promotion of a two-tiered health system where treatment is given on the basis of ability to pay rather than medical need. Fianna Fail, in the past, has committed itself to equal access of all patients. This latest move by the PDs runs in the face of that. If Fianna Fail continues to support the PDs in these moves then it can no longer say it is committed to social justice,”

Given that Fianna Fail will almost certainly ask the two remaining PD TDs to sit in government either with the Green Party or with 'n' independant TDs, it seems quite likely the Green Party will have to give ground on this issue, if it wishes to sit in government.

Fianna Fail and the PDs combined have an 80 seat mandate, which includes support for co-location. The Green Party is a party dedicated to to minimising adverse human impact on the Environment. I believe the Green Party will have to acknowledge it's remit on issues outside of environmental issues is, questionable and that if participating in government, it will have to re-align it's social/economic policies to the FF/PD paradigm.

I think for the Green Party it's time to make a choice. Does the party wish to implement it's policies on the environment in government ? If so, then policies outside of the environmental remit will have to be compromised upon.

Obviously the Greens have the right policies on the Environment, Transport and renewable energy. I don't personally believe the Green Party mandate realistically extends beyond those three core issues and I believe the "also ran" policies of the Greens re: the economy, taxation and co-location will have to change to facilitate participation in government.

[The Trinity Politick]

Geen Party and co-location a deal breaker ?

Please. Please stop this thread. FutureTaoiseach ( A PD) will be on ranting and raving about how this is THE issue......Please.........

[MagnificoPaddy]

Geen Party and co-location a deal breaker ?

Please. Please stop this thread. FutureTaoiseach ( A PD) will be on ranting and raving about how this is THE issue......Please.........

Fine Gael as a right wing party should be all for co-location, not to mention low taxes and pro-business policies.

Come Luke, join with the FF/PD government and together we will rule the galaxy ....

[green]

Damn those Geens and their mischievous aliases!

[SPN]

Given that Fianna Fail will almost certainly ask the two remaining PD TDs to sit in government either with the Green Party or with 'n' independant TDs, it seems quite likely the Green Party will have to give ground on this issue, if it wishes to sit in government.

Where do you get the idea that Fianna Fail are in favour of co-location?

The majority of FF backbenchers are against the idea of handing the highly lucrative revenue streams from the Insurance Companies over to for-profit hospitals when there are no proposals on the table which show how this revenue is going to be replaced.

Fianna Fail and the PDs combined have an 80 seat mandate, which includes support for co-location. The Green Party is a party dedicated to to minimising adverse human impact on the Environment. I believe the Green Party will have to acknowledge it's remit on issues outside of environmental issues is, questionable and that if participating in government, it will have to re-align it's social/economic policies to the FF/PD paradigm.

Many in the Greens wouldn't have a major problem in aligning themselves with centrist FF policies, but the PD WingNuttery has outlived its usefulness - as many FF backbenchers will happily acknowledge.

Obviously the Greens have the right policies on the Environment, Transport and renewable energy. I don't personally believe the Green Party mandate realistically extends beyond those three core issues and I believe the "also ran" policies of the Greens re: the economy, taxation and co-location will have to change to facilitate participation in government.

Mebbe if someone was to elaborate on where the money is going to come from to compensate the HSE for the loss of the VHI revenues we could have a debate on the realities of the situation, instead of the soundbites and misrepresentation we are getting from the PDs.

[althebal]

ive just wrote about this in the main forum

basically, yes, it should be a deal breaker, along with location of central mental hospital

and green policy extends far beyond environment, transport and health

green thought is basically a complete philosophy with implications for all areas of politics.

Since politics is the art of the practical, the green evolution will be slow and peaceful and while we won't become an environmentally friendly, organic food eating, bike loving people anytime soon, in the long run this is the future, because it is good for us, and good for the environment.

1)first they laugh at you
2)then they oppose you
3)then they agree with you

we're getting to the last stage now.
plus ca change!

[MagnificoPaddy]

1)first they laugh at you
2)then they oppose you
3)then they agree with you

we're getting to the last stage now.
plus ca change!

I see, so, sometime soon you'll be agreeing to co-location then ?

Remember kids your mandate is what ... 6, 8 % ? Whether you like it or not, some 4x% of people voted for lets face it, the quasi-consumerist and barefaced pro-business capitalist leviathan in the FF/PD government. It's a part of the reality of the capitalist country we live in. The government was re-elected on the economy, co-location is one of the components of the pro-economy platform that the government turned the election around on... it literally was the economy stupid.

That includes "reform" of the civil service or what's laughably called the civil service, since it's neither civil nor a service.

I suppose what I'm really getting at here is that the Greens have an opportunity to join the real world on economics, taxation and privitisation of public services, and in exchange the party can implement it's environmental policies.

Also, give it a rest "being green is a life-ethos". Nonesense, the "Green party" is about eco-friendly policies... the social policies are a nice bit of window dressing but, come on.

Wherever the central mental hospital is located, it won't affect thing one re pollution, energy generation, recycling, transport etc.

Stick to the voter demographic kids.

[MuchToDo]

The government was re-elected on the economy, co-location is one of the components of the pro-economy platform that the government turned the election around on... it literally was the economy stupid.

Except that the outgoing government was not re-elected. We'll have a new government come the outcome of negotiations. However little you may expect the Greens to get any say in things, if they are in government, it's most certainly not the same one as the outgoing one.

[MagnificoPaddy]

The government was re-elected on the economy, co-location is one of the components of the pro-economy platform that the government turned the election around on... it literally was the economy stupid.

Except that the outgoing government was not re-elected. We'll have a new government come the outcome of negotiations.

We *may* have a government that contains the Greens. Remember Bertie Ahern prefers the FF/PD/Independant option and in theory has the numbers, without the Greens.

To be quite honest, you guys will have to grow up a little bit on the economic issues to sit in government and if the government contains Mary Harney in health as it almost certainly will, you guys will also have to climb down off of the hobby horse on co-location.

Keep the focus on the Green issues, environment, transport and energy production and you can probably sit in government. Try to foist the relatively naive economic policies, the unsellable taxation policies and the intransigent and unreasonable rejection of co-location to your own detriment.

[MuchToDo]

To be quite honest, you guys will have to grow up a little bit on the economic issues to sit in government and if the government contains Mary Harney in health as it almost certainly will, you guys will also have to climb down off of the hobby horse on co-location.

I'm not a Green supporter, but I think it is perfectly reasonable for any party whatever their main focus to be against the institutionalisation and cementing of our two-tier health system. I wish Fianna Fáil had decided to disown the plan, but the "quick fix" element is obviously too attractive, plus it helps Bob the Builder.