A little belly-tickling, and the Greens were hooked ...

I was looking through some old material this morning and I came across this article in the Irish Independent by Gene Kerrigan. Please note the date of the article. That is correct. June 2007.

So why am I posting an article from June 2007? Well, it is an article that should be read again by everyone. The last 2 and 1/2 years have proven Kerrigan to be right about a lot of things.

Such as his prediction about the ban on corporate donations. He said FF would not allow such a ban but would give the Greens a few "goodies" instead ... like cycle to work schemes and lightbulbs. And lets not forget about the other "goodies" enjoyed by John Gormley and co like the pensions, the limos, etc etc etc.

Kerrigan has been right so far. It will be interesting to see if he is proven to be fully correct over the remaining life of this Government.

"It's no secret that this, more or less, is how the Greens were reeled in - being allowed attach themselves to things already in the Fianna Fail manifesto. Cheesed-off at being in Opposition (and even more desperate than the Labour Party), all they needed was to have their bellies tickled.

And Trevor Sargent, having pledged not to lead his party into coalition with Fianna Fail, did just that - finalising the deal with the Taoiseach and relentlessly applying his leadership

skills to convincing party members.

When the deal was done, aware that his credibility was at risk, he stepped down as leader, apparently to accept a junior ministry.

"They seem to like us," giggled John Gormley when negotiations faltered.

The Greens liked being treated as grown-ups. "They didn't need us," the Green mantra went, "but they wanted us." They seemed to believe they were loved for their little green selves, rather than being taken on board to serve as necessary pieces in a pliable coalition.

What's shocking about the Green collapse is not that they joined with Fianna Fail - they had every right to do so if they wanted to trade their votes for things that will benefit the citizenry. What's shocking is the price they accepted.

Any time they tried to touch anything that involves the relationship between Fianna Fail and its business sugar daddies, their hands were slapped away. "A ban on corporate donations" - the very thought. Forcing developers to finish estates and provide such social necessities as schools - out of their immense profits - pull the other one. The developers who hoard land and jack up house prices - a protected species.

Before the election, the Greens opposed the sustained (and ruthlessly denied) under-funding of the public health service. They denounced the "co-location" plan to subsidise the private health business at the cost of public resources. The Greens now label this, along with the other untouchable policies (steam-rolling Tara, etc), as "things we didn't get".

It goes beyond that. The Greens list the things they claim Fianna Fail "signed up to" in the programme for government. But the Greens too signed up to that programme - and that means committing themselves to supporting the implementation of those policies, including co-location and much, much more.

The PDs didn't have to make a formal deal - they know the Taoiseach and his Tanaiste are in lock-step with them.

Looking across at the Greens, and laying down the law, Mary Harney smiled and said, "I strongly believe in collective responsibility and loyalty in Government."

In short, welcome to the real world, kiddies - don't worry, you'll get some goodies, as long as you stay in line. On yer bike, Trevor.

Michael, Bev and the Green Hornets, in harness - it's going to be an interesting five years."