John Gormley

A new version of John Gormley’s address to the Green Party National Convention in Galway has been posted on Google Video. This version is superior to the earlier footage posted on YouTube, which only featured one camera angle. This version has wider shots of the audience and convention stage, and includes the entire speech in one clip:

Update: This version is now available on YouTube also.

I got to the Newtownards count centre by train and bus yesterday. When I got there I congratulated Brian Wilson, but he wisely suggested that it might be premature to forecast victory. Well, today it happened. And he didn’t just sneak in for the sixth seat as had been predicted by the pundits. No, Brian got the fourth seat in North Down - an excellent performance.

Now comes the hard bit. There’ll be plenty of wheeling and dealing, plenty of juicy offers and he needs to be wary. It was a combination of his perceived independence, his environmental credentials, and his excellent track record that got him elected. If he plays his cards right he can build on that and Greens in Northern Ireland will go from strength to strength. A special word of thanks to Cadogan Enright. What an organiser. I don’t think I’ve seen a better postering campaign any place. Cadogan has big plans for the Greens in the North, and at this stage who can doubt him. They are now the sixth party in the province. What an achievement in such a short space of time. And what a platform for their colleagues in the south. I’m looking forward to Brian Wilson MLA campaigning down here in May.

Green Party Chairman launches campaign in Dublin South East

Green Party Chairman John Gormley TD today launched his general election campaign in Dublin South East with a plea to party activists and voters to ensure that Fianna Fáil and the PDs are ousted from government.

“I know from speaking to delegates at our Convention last weekend that they want Fianna Fáil and the PDs out of government,” said Deputy Gormley. “There is an unquenchable thirst for change in the party.

“Bertie Ahern can’t quite decide whether he’s St Paul or St Augustine. Last year we had his Pauline conversion to socialism, but when it comes to the environment it’s a case of ‘make me green, but not yet Lord’.

“All his plans for the future are in the future. Yes, he’s going to tax SUVs – but after the election. He’s going to introduce smart metering – after the election. At least Bertie now knows what smart metering is. He has the lingo now. He can just about talk the talk. But where’s the action?

“At the last election Fianna Fáil said they had a lot done, but more to do. In relation to the environment they have nothing done and a hell of a lot to do. Look at Dick Roche’s attitude to the higher insulation standards agreed by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown council. Look at the poor recycling facilities in Dublin South East. Then there’s the problem of the sewage treatment plant, the litter in the canal and the proposed incinerator, which Minister McDowell falsely claimed had collapsed. Look at the failure to deal with graffiti and the poor bus services.”

John Gormley’s speech to the Green Party convention has been posted on YouTube. Because of the 10-minute limit on video clips on YouTube, it has been split into two 7-minute sections.

Part 1:

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Today the talk was of the convention. There was the usual post mortem over coffee. Eamon, Ciarán and I felt we had succeeded in getting out the message that the Greens are ready for government. However, over the next few weeks we need to be more focused. Right now, it has to be about the environment. Anything else is a distraction.

I won five euros from Trevor over the weekend. I predicted we’d be up in the Red C poll. He had his doubts. He was more than happy to be proved wrong. Eamon Ryan’s reaction to our bet: ‘Five euros! You miserable, tight bastards.’

Talk quickly turned to the rugby. By the way, there was a comment in one of the newspapers that the Greens left the bar in Galway after 20 minutes of the match. Not so. We went downstairs to watch it in the restaurant. It was fantastic stuff. Shane Horgan is easily Ireland’s most consistent player. Girvan Dempsey – solid and dependable – is our most under-rated player.

I remember watching D’Arcy playing for Lansdowne against Blackrock when he was about 19. He played full back that day and it was clear he had extraordinary talent. He seemed to disappear for a while after that. Some said he didn’t have the dedication. Well, he certainly does now. He’s world class.

John Gormley TD gave his Cathaoirleach’s address to the Green Party/Comhaontas Glas National Convention in Galway on Saturday 24th February 2006.

Listen to an audio recording of the speech.

The full text of the speech is available below. (more…)

Fluoridation
The PDs voted down the motion to ban fluoridation. It’s difficult to understand how a liberal party, whose apparent philosophy is based on the notion that the individual has a right to make choices about his or her life, could countenance the idea of mass medication. It’s disappointing. Well done, anyway, to Councillor Paul Mitchell for putting the motion.

Auction politics
This election is in danger of becoming a runaway train. Each party is trying to outbid the other in a most irresponsible way. I remember the 1977 Fianna Fáil election manifesto, with its list of irresistible goodies for the electorate, which gained Jack Lynch a huge overall majority. I also remember the subsequent bleak years of the 1980s with its dole queues and immigration. I only hope that some voters will appreciate that auction politics is bad for the country.

The last MRBI poll, which had us dropping to 4%, appeared on the day of our 25th anniversary celebration. In my speech that evening I joked that the result was a ’statistical blip’. That seemed to cheer up the party members. If I had the opportunity to address party members again I’d say exactly the same thing. These poll results are for the birds. Yes, we’re doing okay and getting a positive response, but we have not doubled our vote. Realistically, I’d say we’re around 6% nationally, and if we can maintain that sort of percentage we’ll make gains.

Our good poll results have irritated the PDs. Michael Mc had a go at us on Pat Kenny this morning. He claimed on three occasions that we wished to increase corporation tax. Not true, as it happens, but then facts aren’t Michael’s strong point. Later, he issued another attack, to which I responded.

We had some good launches lately. Our primary health care launch last week in Drogheda was successful. On Tuesday I went to Eamon Ryan with an idea for a launch today on climate change. I recommended a slogan “It’s time to act”. Eamon immediately organised a banner and a post card. We launched today on the Millennium bridge to coincide with the IPCC report.

– Minister resorting to misinformation to restore his party’s sagging reputation

The Green Party has accused Michael McDowell of looking through the wrong end of the telescope when it comes to the environment and the economy, and deliberately misrepresenting the party’s position on taxation.

Reacting to comments made by a clearly rattled Tánaiste on the Pat Kenny radio show today, Green Party Chairman John Gormley TD said: “Michael McDowell needs to catch up with the rest of the world in realising that protecting the environment is a prerequisite for a functioning economy. The Stern Report is the latest illustration that economists now accept that preventing environmental damage is less costly than repairing it, and that ignoring climate change and other environmental problems is a sure path to economic disaster. The latest poll results show that the Irish people are also accepting this message, and that they will punish the Progressive Democrats if they continue in this mode of denial.

“As the PDs have been part of a government with an appalling environmental record for the past decade, it may be too late for a convincing road-to-Damascus type conversion, but it must be of some concern to the party that their leader lags behind even George Bush on this issue.

“Minister McDowell should concentrate on getting his own house in order before attacking the Green Party. He must now realise that his unequivocal support for the Taoiseach during the payments crisis has undermined public confidence in the role of the PDs,” concluded Deputy Gormley.

Green Party Finance spokesperson Dan Boyle TD added: “During his radio interview the Tánaiste stated on three occasions that the Green Party favours an increase in the rate of Corporation Tax. It seems that the Tánaiste is now resorting to misinformation to restore his and his party’s sagging reputation. Minister McDowell should be aware that the Green Party at its National Convention last year approved the ‘Taxing Smarter’ policy document, which I wrote, and which clearly states that at the forthcoming General Election the party will be campaigning on a platform of NOT changing the rate of Corporation Tax or the rates of PAYE taxation.”

John Gormley TD gives his opinion of the Green Party’s chances in the upcoming General Election in this brief video: