New Programme for Government agreed

jhegarty

Just in time for the 9 o'clock news green vote tomorrow.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1009/politics2.html

Liam Byrne

Just watching it, and I'm sickened again!

The only thing that's showing (whether it's the usual bull**** smoke and mirrors I don't know) is they way they're talking about one of the "sticking points" being "political reform & expenses".....

If that was a "sticking point", then the implication there is that the Fianna Failures weren't even remotely interested in cleaning up their rat-infested, self-serving, twisted definition of "honourable".

mikemac

Was to be expected.
Did anyone seriously think the Greens would voluntarily give up power?

The government was elected for a 5 year term and it appears that it is what they will serve, rightly or wrongly

Ah the GP. Even the PD's were less like lapdogs then the Greens are.
And to think in the last general election I hoped the Greens would do well But then I remember a certain promise from them on who they would not form a government with

Ludo

mikemac wrote: »

Did anyone seriously think the Greens would voluntarily give up power?

I was hopeful. Still some hope left that the rank and file members will have more sense than their leaders tomorrow.

Liam Byrne

It's obviously the new Green campaign to save all the rats in Ireland......

Honda08

jhegarty wrote: »

Just in time for the 9 o'clock news green vote tomorrow.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1009/politics2.html

yea they probably agreed a ban on candles, and the motorcar.

also the introduction of invisible ink pens for filling out expense claim forms,

and a free piggy bank for everyone in the audience.:P:P

mikemac

I read somewhere that the rank and file members have a large amount of power in the Green Party.
Sorry, I don't know the exact figures but it's more then 51% I think.

So maybe the members can go against their leadership tomorrow
At least I'd assume the ordinary members aren't as out of touch as their party leaders and know exactly what people feel about them.

bcirl03

Green MUPPETS!

If they were dead in the water before this evening they are 100% gone now after the next GE.

Sand

The negotiations were a bit of theatre for the benefit of the GP membership voting tommorrow - Fianna Fail and GP pretend theres some bitter, hardfought negotiations, the GP leadership emerge victorious, having brought those rascals in Fianna Fail to justice, showed them whose really the boss...its all theatre designed for the GP membership.

Programme for Government was probably agreed in about 5 minutes.. the rest was just for show, to help the GP sell it as a major victory to their members.

Sizzler

Amazing, I'll now try for the lotto numbers tomorrow :rolleyes:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=62467452&postcount=43

starbelgrade

Sand wrote: »

Programme for Government was probably agreed in about 5 minutes.. the rest was just for show, to help the GP sell it as a major victory to their members.

"New Programme for Government?"

"Agreed!"

"Sound, let's go to the pub & catch Bertie on The Late Late".

Sizzler

bcirl03 wrote: »

Green MUPPETS!

If they were dead in the water before this evening they are 100% gone now after the next GE.

You are bang on.

Gormley's balls are probably in a box on Cowans desk, any respect I had for the guy is well and truly gone.

I really do hope their members can see through todays farce and pull the plug tomorrow. But we know they wont.

mikemac

Sizzler speaks the truth

Why wait till the last minute FFS, they knew they had Biffo & Co. on the wrack for MONTHS now. Gormley and Ryan have been talking about the programme for govt for an age, simple stuff, give Biffo your list of demands and go and grab a green tea lads. If he says no its over, simple. Why wait for today?This was an agenda item for sometime.

You can see it already, Greens will get a few concessions but will never reveal the extent of what they really wanted and will come out of it claiming it as some sort of remarkable victory for the party

If that happens, I hope its members are wide to it and bury them tomorrow.

If the Greens hang on they will be wiped out at the next election.
If they collapse the government I can't accurately say what will happen them. I'd say few could predict that. But it's better then hanging on for a few minor and I mean minor concessions from FF.

I hope the rank and file members can sway this. As their leadership are lapdogs to FF!

Sizzler wrote: »

Amazing, I'll now try for the lotto numbers tomorrow :rolleyes:

Don't bother my friend. My syndicate are going to win

Bandit12

Wow what a surprise :rolleyes:. Any lingering respect i had for the greens (and it was'nt much) is now totally gone. They will now get slaughtered in the next GE for stabbing the people in the back and helping FF hold onto power.

dvpower

mikemac wrote: »

But then I remember a certain promise from them on who they would not form a government with

Wasn't that Trevor Sargent promising tht he wouldn't lead them into government?

A promise he kept at great personal expense.

mikemac

dvpower wrote: »

Wasn't that Trevor Sargent promising tht he wouldn't lead them into government?

A promise he kept at great personal expense.

True, fair point
Fair play to the guy for keeping his promise

Liam Byrne

dvpower wrote: »

Wasn't that Trevor Sargent promising tht he wouldn't lead them into government?

A promise he kept at great personal expense.

Bull! The biggest con job of the decade! :rolleyes:

Mr.Micro

Well well well, as predicted the spineless Greens will continue to prop up the shameless FF party in Government. No surprises there. The Greens know that they are finished now and want to hang on to their only shot at Government at all costs. 2 more years of incompetence, like the country needs it

Biggins

Sand wrote: »

The negotiations were a bit of theatre for the benefit of the GP membership voting tommorrow - Fianna Fail and GP pretend theres some bitter, hardfought negotiations, the GP leadership emerge victorious, having brought those rascals in Fianna Fail to justice, showed them whose really the boss...its all theatre designed for the GP membership.

Programme for Government was probably agreed in about 5 minutes.. the rest was just for show, to help the GP sell it as a major victory to their members.

Absolutely...
I can hear them tomorrow from their high stage "we fought long and hard to hammer out what your reading today"
Sickening. O' well - depending how things go tomorrow, they will be paying for it decades at the polling stations.

Trotter

Sickening. I want this shower out. Words are pointless now because as a nation we're locked up and we just lost our shot at parole. Time to serve our sentence now, like we have a choice in the matter. Representation and democracy my eye.

I hear the rats, badgers, and other fur covered 4 legged vermin (and the 2 legged suit wearing vermin) are delighted.

We've scraped the floor of all that is good in Ireland.

jhegarty

I don't see them getting 2/3 tommorow.

brianthebard

What really worries me at the minute is this fur lobby group within the party, depending on the turn up tomorrow they could be between 10 and 25% of the voting voice. There is a very real chance that NAMA will be decided by fur!

Sand

Dont get too pessimistic. We know that the GP leadership were always aiming for that Thelma and Louise style finale in 2012 with the bould boys of the Publlican Party.

So this is'nt surprising. Its theatre, but the Greens leadership and Fianna Fail *are* scared. Hence the theatre over these negotiations, hence JOD being pushed out to avoid him becoming an issue for the Greens membership *but* staying on till Tuesday, just in case.

The Green membership still has to vote. They might have wildly diverging views from their leadership on if the implementation of their policies is a short term race that will be all finished in 2012, or if they want the Green party and Green policies to be viable and electable after that point.

Its quite simple, even for the realpolitick Greens - yeah, if they vote to stay, they might, *might* hold on to help introduce the most harsh budget in living memory ( the government will probably fall over the December budget either way as Fianna Fail backbenchers flee from their constituents...) and then get utterly wiped out. But if they bring down the government, they get some kudos and respect for doing so and can enter the General Election with clear blue water between them and Fianna Fail whilst angling to earn a spot in the Rainbow 2.0 government.

Macha

Sand wrote: »

The negotiations were a bit of theatre for the benefit of the GP membership voting tommorrow - Fianna Fail and GP pretend theres some bitter, hardfought negotiations, the GP leadership emerge victorious, having brought those rascals in Fianna Fail to justice, showed them whose really the boss...its all theatre designed for the GP membership.

Programme for Government was probably agreed in about 5 minutes.. the rest was just for show, to help the GP sell it as a major victory to their members.

Sorry but this is all factually incorrect, as much as you and other posters are dying to believe it.

Mr. Incognito

I'm an ex green- they would have been wiped out if they pulled the plug- I'm going to reserve judgement until I see the terms they've extracted from Fianna Fail.

With the bleeding of a few fianna fail backbenchers they would have to have extracted major concessions.

Sand

Sorry but this is all factually incorrect, as much as you and other posters are dying to believe it.

Ah yeah, I know - It was a fierce battle, the Greens returning like glorious heroes with incredible concessions from those reprobates...nudge, nudge, wink,wink.

Macha

Sand wrote: »

Ah yeah, I know - It was a fierce battle, the Greens returning like glorious heroes with incredible concessions from those reprobates...nudge, nudge, wink,wink.

Again, you can hint and suggest all you want but the facts remain the facts.

Mr.Micro

The Greens probably begged FF to keep them on and then the biggest decision of the day was who should leave first.

Dampsquid

The last Green party programme for government:

Environment

* Set a target for reduction of 3% per year on average in Irish greenhouse gas emissions.

* Mandate the Dept of Environment to publish an annual report setting out progress on meeting climate change targets.

* Review and renew the role of the EPA

* Establish Climate Change commission

* Introduce Noise Bill

* Require carbon offsetting of all official air travel in support of urban forests.



Energy

* Dramatically accelerate the growth of renewable energy sources in the electricity, heat and transport sectors of the economy. One third of all electricity consumed will come from renewable energy by 2020.

* Devise a price support scheme to support and encourage investment in the development of wave and tidal power.

* 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.

* Introduce new National Attic and Wall Insulation Grant Scheme worth €100m.

* Ensure that the ESB installs a new smart electronic meter in every home in the country which will allow people to reduce their bills by cutting back on unnecessary use of electricity.

* Work with the European Commission and other national grid operators to develop an offshore wind farm grid connection system to power the rest of Europe.

* Provide substantial financial support to improve the energy efficiency of existing public housing and assist those on low incomes to avoid fuel poverty.



Transport

* Multi-criteria analysis of all transport projects to take into account environmental factors on a whole project basis.

* Bring into being a National Transport Regulator after bringing into being a Dublin Transport Authority.

* Substantially improve and expand the Luas service in Dublin.

* Establish and support the work of the Dublin Transport Authority to oversee strategic planning, infrastructure, services, fares, routes and traffic management.

* Reopen Western rail Corridor from Ennis to Claremorris.

* Opening the Navan rail line.

* Opening Cork-Midleton rail service, provide a commuter rail service between Galway and Athenry.

* Conduct feasibility studies, to be completed within two years, into the Luas-style light rail systems in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.



Education

* Commit to an additional €350m per year on new service developments in education.

* Provide each child with special needs with the right to an individual Education Plan. In case of autism the Plan will enable them to benefit from a range of teaching approaches.

* Ensure education in road safety is provided at different stages of the school system.

Expand the number of adult literacy training places by 4000.



Taxation Policy

* Setting up a Commission on Taxation to examine the balance of how taxes are collected, the value of taxes reliefs and the introduction of environmental taxes.

* Changes in VAT in relation to environmental goods and services.

* A carbon levy to be introduced during the lifetime of this Government.



Social Partnership

* Environmental organisations to become social partners.

* Comhar - The National Sustainability Council - to become part of the National Economic and Social Development Office, and given an enhanced research role.



Extraordinary Rendition

* The Irish Government is completely opposed to the practice of extraordinary rendition. To that end, the Government will encourage and support An Garda Síochána in the investigation an enforcement of these Statues. It will do this by making resources available for specialised training in the provisions of those Statutes to members of An Garda Síochána and by other means as may be required by An Garda Síochána in order to ensure effective protection for the dignity of all persons within or passing through the State. We will ensure that all relevant legal instruments are used so that the practice of extraordinary rendition does not occur in this State in any form.



Electoral Reform

* Establish an independent Electoral Commission to take responsibility for electoral administration and oversight. It will also take charge of the compilation of a new national rolling electoral register. It will take over the functions of the Standards in Public Office Commission in relation to electoral expenditure and examine the issue of financing of the political system.



Local Government Reform

* We will reform local government making it more transparent and more responsible to its customers. A Green Paper on Local Government Reform will be published with in six months of coming into office. This Green Paper will examine proper balance of power at local levis between the Manager and the elected representatives, the issue of directly elected Mayors/Chairs, the establishment of town councils in those towns that have shown significant population growth in recent years and the provision of quality customer service to the public.

* Directly elected Mayor for Dublin by 2011.

* We will review the operation of local government legislation to ensure that the decision making processes in local authorities are rebalanced in favour of the democratically elected representatives of the people.

* Ensure that there is an acceptable 'buffer period' before civil servants or local government officials can take up employment in related areas of the private sector.

How many of them have been achieved?

Sand

Its zero, isnt it?

But dont worry lads. This time they *really* mean it.

Again, you can hint and suggest all you want but the facts remain the facts.

Who are you trying to convince here?

Macha

Sand wrote: »

Its zero, isnt it?

But dont worry lads. This time they *really* mean it.

Who are you trying to convince here?

Oh sorry don't mind me.

And don't let some pesky facts get in the way of a good ol' misguided rant - it's easier that way.