The Greening of the Brown
Jun 13th, 2007 by Jim Kennedy
Having heard Dan Boyle of the Green Party on Newstalk this lunchtime, talking up the agreement they’ve hammered out with Fianna Fail over the formation of the next government, I had to laugh.
The Greens have been convinced by the wily Fianna Fail negotiators that nothing can be done to stop policies already in motion, such as acceptance of United States military flights in Shannon airport, all ‘planned’ new roads (including the one through the Hill of Tara), or the hospital co-location project (because there’s an ‘agreement’ in place to sign contracts).
I’d imagine Bertie had to laugh too when he heard their ‘demands.’
Among other things, the Green ‘negotiated’ for the possibility that the Gardai ‘may‘ inspect said flights (what a victory - a government that concedes that it ‘may‘ inspect foreign aircraft on our soil), a ‘commitment’ to ‘look at’ public transportation in Cork and Galway ‘by the end of this government’s term,’ a carbon tax (but not this year), and a scheme to insulate everyone’s attic (no loft left behind).
No mention of trivial issues, such as, say, the economy. And certainly Fianna Fail weren’t open to any change on the corporate donations issue. I’d imagine, however, that there’ll be subtle and discreet changes in the way this new government does business.
We’ll move from this economic model:
…to this one…
How do you become a Green Party negotiator anyway? I’ve seen tofu with sharper teeth than these guys.
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Very good. I was listening to RTE Radio One’s News at One and they had Eamon Ryan on defending the proposal. They also read out the summary of the document and the list of stuff was long, but incredibly insubstantial. Each point had caveats. As Michael Taft brilliantly puts it, if a party wants to make a deal, and the Green party were desperate to make a deal, they will. All difficulties will be overcome. He then points out how this could be done:
• Employ aspirations that are so commonplace no one would disagree. Example: efficient public services. Well, who wants inefficient public services?
• Advance assertions that sound specific but, on closer examination, aren’t. Example: ‘A properly funded education system.’ Again, who supports an improperly funded system?
• Agree policies that are easily implemented and uncontentious. This gives the veneer of a positive negotiated outcome.
• Where there is a disagreement, fudge. That’s why working parties were invented.
• When all else fails, subject everything to a financial formula: ‘in keeping with sound fiscal policies’, ‘consistent with economic growth,’ etc. This is a great postponer of difficult decisions.
“Experienced negotiators can do all this before they sit down for breakfast.”
In the case of education, we have been told of a promise of an extra 50 million. This is meaningless without any idea of what current spending is and what, more specifically, it will be spent on. Is this a concession or was it money that was going to be allocated anyway?
From what we know already the Green party will have very little real power or influence in Government. Unlike the PDs in the last government, they are completely dispensible, and when he was in the mood to do it, McDowell was incapable of standing up to vested interests, despite his bluster. Any attempt to challenge them was always undercut by FF. What hope of the Greens of standing up to anyone?
I can sympathize with the Green’s idea that in order to influence policy on climate change they have to be in Government sooner rather than later because of the ticking clock that is global warming. However, FF intend to use the Greens as a shield to take the flack when the Government is inevitably criticised for doing too little and acting to late with regard to climate change. The carbon trading promises are insufficient and there is an argument that on its own its effectively useless. The Greens used to be the most vociferous and consistent critics of the government on this issue, and FF managed to do very little then. Now, if the convention accepts this sham document, the Greens will have been effectively silenced. There’s no doubt that FF’s weak spot is the environment, and we are going to see greater EU pressure as international agreements firm up post Kyoto.
We’ll have to wait and see how it goes through. Maybe the membership agrees that the Greens would be better out of a FF Government rather than in one. Such an outcome might give them the stomach to continue to put pressure on the issues that really matter as part of a broad left coalition, as Michael Taft and Gerry O’Quigley have suggested. I hope so.
I’ve no doubt you guys are right about FF’s wily negotiators and the vagueness of much of the agreement. However the Greens aren’t going to get more than 6 seats any time soon and they are interested in effecting change so what else could they do ?
The built-in get out language FF may have cutely included will amount to nothing really if the Greens cop on, as they will, that nothing is really happening. They’re desperate for power all right but, for the first time in Irish history, I think we may see that they want it so as to make a difference (even if it is only a small 6-seat powered difference). If/when they twig they’ve been hoodwinked they won’t just shrug their shoulders I suspect and the ensuing tantrum might be good sport !
Cynicism is very understandable but it is somewhat self-perpetuating so if you want to have change happen (which is the only alternative to death !) then maybe less smart arsery wouldn’t hurt !
Hi PORO,
I think the Greens probably did the correct thing in signing up to government (being on the inside, effecting change, is of course the purpose of a political party); I just think that they’ve cut themselves an incredibly poor deal. The deal is couched in such vague terms and get-out clauses that they effectively signed up to support FF without getting any concrete concessions in return.
My post was on the naive nature of the Green party - one reason I didn’t vote for them myself. I just think that Brian Cowen and the FF side of that table must have thought it was a cakewalk compared to dealing with most astute, cynical political players, such as Bev, Jackie Healy-Rae, and Mary Harney.
‘If/when they twig they’ve been hoodwinked…’ - How naive are they? As any barstool commentator (myself included) will tell you, this hoodwinking has already happened. The only ones not spotting the trick yet are the Greens.
I think they will rue this deal and could suffer for it next time out. That said, by the time the next election comes around, the Irish people will be a lot more environmentally aware (it’s happening slowly), so they may yet have a future.
‘less smart arsery wouldn’t hurt !’ - True, but without it the Interweb would be a dull place…
Jim.
maybe less smart arsery wouldn’t hurt!
This morning on Morning Ireland there was a report describing events from outside Aras last night. Bertie and Brian arrived at the Presidential Palace in their ministerial mercs, while the rest of the ministers arrived on the bus (you could hear the chugging of shuttle bus in the background). John Gormley and Eamon Ryan were asked as they alighted why they didn’t come on their bikes. It was pissing out of the heavens, so the reason was fairly obvious but they said it anyway.
However, after the ceremony the journalist said that all the ministers got into their ministerial merc to make the journey home. All except Gormley and Ryan. They got back on the bus [the comment was followed by the sound of the bus chugging away and we were left to imagine the two new ministers sitting, smiles still a mile wide, on a near empty bus as it made its way through Phoenix Park in the rain]
You don’t have to be smart arse about it. This stuff is funny by itself.