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Dublin Lord Mayor Hazel Chu to stand as Independent in Seanad elections

  • 24-03-2021 3:41pm
    #1
    Baggly
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,024 ✭✭✭✭Baggly


    https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2021/0322/1205504-seanad-election/

    Lord Mayor Hazel Chu is reported to be standing for election to the Seanad as an Independent. What do you think of this?


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    • Please discuss the topic in a civil manner.
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    Post edited by Beasty on


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Comments

  • #2
    TheValeyard
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,729 ✭✭✭✭TheValeyard


    What has she done to deserve a place in the Seanad?

    Then again, what have 3/4 of them done to deserve a place there.

    All eyes on Kursk. Slava Ukraini.



  • #3
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Baggly wrote: »
    https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2021/0322/1205504-seanad-election/

    Lord Mayor Hazel Chu is reported to be standing for election to the Seanad as an Independent. What do you think of this?

    It can't be long now before the Greens split.
    As a bit of an environmentalist, I actually can't stand most of them (funnily enough bar Ryan). They're after getting a decent climate bill through the Oireachtas, and all you hear from some of them is screeching about racism and pervert teachers.

    One of her backers, TD Costello has even taken a case against the state...
    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/varadkar-criticises-green-td-s-high-court-ceta-challenge-1.4500000


  • #4
    POBox19
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 717 ✭✭✭POBox19


    Fair play to her, and Good Luck Hazel.


  • #5
    Amirani
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,534 Mod ✭✭✭✭Amirani


    MikeOxsgreen wrote: »
    One of her backers, TD Costello has even taken a case against the state...
    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/varadkar-criticises-green-td-s-high-court-ceta-challenge-1.4500000

    Costello is her husband, so a bit more than just a backer.

    I don't have a particular issue with her running for the Seanad, all power to her. No real problem with her choosing to do it as an Independent if she wasn't getting party support. However, she should have resigned as Chairperson of the Greens in order to do so.


  • #6
    Yellow_Fern
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,612 ✭✭✭Yellow_Fern


    TheValeyard wrote: »
    What has she done to deserve a place in the Seanad?

    Then again, what have 3/4 of them done to deserve a place there.

    She has a lot of twitter followers and the media love her


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  • #7
    boardise
    Registered Users Posts: 3,461 ✭✭✭boardise


    What a shame we didnt get rid of that silly Senate when there was a golden chance some years back.


  • #8
    DrumSteve
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,798 ✭✭✭✭DrumSteve


    boardise wrote: »
    What a shame we didnt get rid of that silly Senate when there was a golden chance some years back.

    I think it is a useful function of a democracy to have an upper house to review legislation... But the senate in its current form is not fit for purpose and seems to be a holding pen for politicians who can't get elected by the general public or are unelectable full stop.


  • #9
    nullzero
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,424 ✭✭✭✭nullzero
    °°°°°


    Yellow_Fern wrote: »
    She has a lot of twitter followers and the media love her

    Politicians on Twitter is generally a bad idea.

    If she is bringing something worthwhile to the table politically best of luck to her.

    I would suggest she stop kicking the hornets nest of identity politics via her twitter account and concentrate on her job for everyone's sake. She helps give more attention than practically anyone else in political office to fringe groups who are only too happy to engage in harassment and abuse against her. The point has been made, time to concentrate on serving the people of Ireland, God knows we have enough lousy politicians in this country already.

    Glazers Out!



  • #10
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Amirani wrote: »
    Costello is her husband, so a bit more than just a backer..

    Jesus H Christ.
    I did not know that!

    #embarrassed

    Makes it even worse so


  • #11
    TomTomTim
    Registered Users Posts: 2,841 ✭✭✭TomTomTim


    nullzero wrote: »
    Politicians on Twitter is generally a bad idea.

    If she is bringing something worthwhile to the table politically best of luck to her.

    I would suggest she stop kicking the hornets nest of identity politics via her twitter account and concentrate on her job for everyone's sake. She helps give more attention than practically anyone else in political office to fringe groups who are only too happy to engage in harassment and abuse against her. The point has been made, time to concentrate on serving the people of Ireland, God knows we have enough lousy politicians in this country already.

    I disagree, for different reasons. One of the only benefits of social media is the fact that we get to see exactly what these people think. For many of us it's been illuminating. Any suspicions people have had about the unethical nature of politicians and journalists, have been completely validated due to social media.

    “The man who lies to himself can be more easily offended than anyone else. You know it is sometimes very pleasant to take offense, isn't it? A man may know that nobody has insulted him, but that he has invented the insult for himself, has lied and exaggerated to make it picturesque, has caught at a word and made a mountain out of a molehill--he knows that himself, yet he will be the first to take offense, and will revel in his resentment till he feels great pleasure in it.”- ― Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov




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  • #12
    nullzero
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,424 ✭✭✭✭nullzero
    °°°°°


    TomTomTim wrote: »
    I disagree, for different reasons. Twitters only benefit is the fact that we get to see exactly what these people think. For many of us it's been illuminating. Any suspicions people have had about the unethical nature of politicians and journalists, have been completely validated due to social media.

    That is true.

    I was coming from the angle of certain politicians stoking fires that need not be stoked via twitter.

    Glazers Out!



  • #13
    Kivaro
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,105 ✭✭✭Kivaro


    Shenanigans afoot I'd say.

    Eamon Ryan will not be voting for his party colleague Hazel Chu in this Seanad by-election. According to the Examiner:
    "Green Party leader Eamon Ryan confirmed he would be voting for Fianna Fáil's Gerry Horkan on the Industrial panel, who is running against Ms Chu. Ms Chu entered the race as an Independent candidate yesterday as a late entry after securing nine signatures, seven of which came from her own party, despite the party agreeing it would not field a candidate for the ballot."

    Not voting for your own party's Chairperson tells a inquisitive story right there.


  • #14
    biko
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 81,220 ✭✭✭✭biko


    In a letter to members, the Mayor said this was a "personal choice to ensure there is proper representation" in the election, adding: "It is important to have women and minorities."

    The Seanad is very close to 50/50 already - 24 women out of 60 Senators (40%).

    There were 9 women and 3 men appointed by the Taoiseach 2020, including one female Traveller rights activist.


  • #15
    PunkIPA
    Registered Users Posts: 87 ✭✭PunkIPA


    If a member of FG, FF, or SF attempted to stand as an Independent in a Seanad or Dáil election after being expressly forbidden from doing so as a member of that party they would have their membership suspended and would be certainly be forced to resign as from a prominent leadership position such as Chairperson. There is absolutely no question about that.

    There was a case recently where a simple rank-and-file Blueshirt had his membership stripped for the capital offence of knocking on a few doors in the last local elections for his father who was standing as an Independent councillor:-

    https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/election-2020/donohoe-suggests-expelled-fine-gael-member-who-supported-fathers-campaign-may-return-after-election-38894588.html

    What the Lord Mayor is doing now is genuinely unprecedented.

    #NotANormalParty


  • #16
    suicide_circus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,802 ✭✭✭✭suicide_circus


    "Former head of communications for Diageo Ireland runs for the senate"


  • #17
    Yellow_Fern
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,612 ✭✭✭Yellow_Fern


    Kivaro wrote: »
    Shenanigans afoot I'd say.

    Eamon Ryan will not be voting for his party colleague Hazel Chu in this Seanad by-election. According to the Examiner:
    "Green Party leader Eamon Ryan confirmed he would be voting for Fianna Fáil's Gerry Horkan on the Industrial panel, who is running against Ms Chu. Ms Chu entered the race as an Independent candidate yesterday as a late entry after securing nine signatures, seven of which came from her own party, despite the party agreeing it would not field a candidate for the ballot."

    Not voting for your own party's Chairperson tells a inquisitive story right there.

    I don't why you'd risk the party of a Seanad seat. The Seanad is very unimportant. If she plays the long game she would be well placed to get a TD seat and without disrupting the party. She was only elected as a councilor in 2019. Walk before you run like.


  • #18
    Richard Hillman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,033 ✭✭✭✭Richard Hillman


    She seen the sinking ship and grabbed a life raft for herself


  • #19
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 54,091 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    Chairperson of the GP going against party decisions is quite the farce. This is just outright careerism. One foot in the GP, one foot as an independent, see which one results in a better position.

    I read in one of the papers that she was courting other independents for backing. Does this means she intends to be truly independent and not an unofficial Green? Is she going to vote against government bills?

    I'm repeating what I said in the politics forum but it is time Ryan took action against those in his party who cannot follow party discipline.


  • #20
    Amirani
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,534 Mod ✭✭✭✭Amirani


    Kivaro wrote: »
    Shenanigans afoot I'd say.

    Eamon Ryan will not be voting for his party colleague Hazel Chu in this Seanad by-election. According to the Examiner:
    "Green Party leader Eamon Ryan confirmed he would be voting for Fianna Fáil's Gerry Horkan on the Industrial panel, who is running against Ms Chu. Ms Chu entered the race as an Independent candidate yesterday as a late entry after securing nine signatures, seven of which came from her own party, despite the party agreeing it would not field a candidate for the ballot."

    Not voting for your own party's Chairperson tells a inquisitive story right there.

    Apparently it was part of the agreement in Government that first 2 Seanad by-elections would go to the bigger 2 parties, and the next one would go to the Greens. Hence why her party wouldn't nominate her.


  • #21
    L1011
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 69,547 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    awec wrote: »
    Chairperson of the GP going against party decisions is quite the farce. This is just outright careerism. One foot in the GP, one foot as an independent, see which one results in a better position.

    I'm repeating what I said in the politics forum but it is time Ryan took action against those in his party who cannot follow party discipline.

    Party chairs are sometimes elected to or pushed to the role to try and quell their dissent; with the opposite results.

    Colm Keaveney was, briefly, Chair of the Labour Party without the Dáil whip (he then joined FF, lost his seat, went bankrupt and got re-elected as a Councilor for FF - so he's had an interesting decade)
    Amirani wrote: »
    Costello is her husband, so a bit more than just a backer.

    As far as I know they're not actually married - because the wedding had to be postponed due to COVID.


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  • #22
    keano_afc
    Registered Users Posts: 8,711 ✭✭✭keano_afc


    Standing because the Seanad needs to more diverse? Doesn't she repeatedly tell us she's Irish? The Seanad is full of Irish people.


  • #23
    Marcos
    Registered Users Posts: 509 ✭✭✭Marcos


    Yellow_Fern wrote: »
    I don't why you'd risk the party of a Seanad seat. The Seanad is very unimportant. If she plays the long game she would be well placed to get a TD seat and without disrupting the party. She was only elected as a councilor in 2019. Walk before you run like.

    The Greens are going to implode at the next General Election, just like they did the last time they went into coalition. And where is the bould Hazel going to get elected? She's in Eamon Ryan's constituency, Dublin Bay South, so that's no. Plus don't forget he's been TD there for so long, and is well able to look after himself. Remember him objecting to the Metrolink plans because they didn't sit well with his constituents?

    Can anyone seeing Neasa Hourigan standing aside in Dublin Central just to let Hazel in? Catherine Martin in Dublin Rathdown? Ossian Smith in Dun Laoghaire? Roderick O'Gorman in Dublin West? Joe O'Brien in Dublin Fingal? Even her partner Patrick Costello in Dublin South Central? No, there's not any spare constituency that will have her. So of course she's cutting and running while trying to hoover up as many Green votes by association as possible.

    When most of us say "social justice" we mean equality under the law opposition to prejudice, discrimination and equal opportunities for all. When Social Justice Activists say "social justice" they mean an emphasis on group identity over the rights of the individual, a rejection of social liberalism, and the assumption that unequal outcomes are always evidence of structural inequalities.

    Andrew Doyle, The New Puritans.



  • #24
    PunkIPA
    Registered Users Posts: 87 ✭✭PunkIPA


    Yellow_Fern wrote: »
    I don't why you'd risk the party of a Seanad seat. The Seanad is very unimportant. If she plays the long game she would be well placed to get a TD seat and without disrupting the party. She was only elected as a councilor in 2019. Walk before you run like.

    The problem for the Lord Mayor is that her advancement in Dublin in the next GE is effectively impossible. Every Southside constituency already has an incumbent TD. In the wider Dublin area, the constituencies without a GP TD are the ones where they will never in a million years take a seat. 2019 will be an all time high watermark for the party and I highly doubt they will perform as well again in the course of my lifetime.

    If, as is widely expected, their vote share decreases in the next GE, she will also be faced with the prospect of a lot of incumbent TDs, and in some cases former Ministers, who will have lost their seats. So when it comes time to arrange a vote for the next Seanad elections, the Lord Mayor will struggle to get her name to the front of that particular queue also.

    My suspicion is the Lord Mayor position was given to her as a sinecure - she was promoted over Cllr. Byrne who has been an incumbent since 2014, and Cllrs. Cooney and Conroy, who were candidates back in 2014 too. It certainly bought the party lots of excellent PR. The Lord Mayor's rapid advancement seems to have gone to her head, however. I don't think it was ever the intention of Minister Ryan for Mayor Chu to be his running mate in Dublin Bay South, for example.

    Remember, she is the Councillor for the Pembroke ward in Minister Ryan's back yard. I don't imagine he will be too keen for her to be breathing down his neck in the greenest seat in the country.


  • #25
    Faugheen
    Site Banned Posts: 12,341 ✭✭✭✭Faugheen


    She's had one foot out the door of the Greens for a good while now. She admitted to being approached by the Social Democrats not too long ago.

    I think it's a great move. She won't get elected but it lays out to the public exactly how much of a mess the Greens are and it's not going to get any better as long as Eamon Ryan is leader. The fact Catherine Martin (along with her husband and brother) signed her nomination papers says it all for me.


  • #26
    keano_afc
    Registered Users Posts: 8,711 ✭✭✭keano_afc


    Marcos wrote: »
    The Greens are going to implode at the next General Election, just like they did the last time they went into coalition. And where is the bould Hazel going to get elected? She's in Eamon Ryan's constituency, Dublin Bay South, so that's no. Plus don't forget he's been TD there for so long, and is well able to look after himself. Remember him objecting to the Metrolink plans because they didn't sit well with his constituents?

    Can anyone seeing Neasa Hourigan standing aside in Dublin Central just to let Hazel in? Catherine Martin in Dublin Rathdown? Ossian Smith in Dun Laoghaire? Roderick O'Gorman in Dublin West? Joe O'Brien in Dublin Fingal? Even her partner Patrick Costello in Dublin South Central? No, there's not any spare constituency that will have her. So of course she's cutting and running while trying to hoover up as many Green votes by association as possible.

    She'll join the Social Democrats. Match made in heaven.


  • #27
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 54,091 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    I actually missed the fact that the deputy leader of the GP nominated her. Ha!

    Either Catherine Martin is absolutely certain that Hazel Chu has no chance of winning, in which case why embarrass the party for nothing, or she's playing a dangerous game with the parties reputation in government and should also lose her position.

    What a dysfunctional group.


  • #28
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Would have swore down she was going to run as a SD

    Seanad seems like a waste.

    (Thank fock)


  • #29
    Faugheen
    Site Banned Posts: 12,341 ✭✭✭✭Faugheen


    awec wrote: »
    I actually missed the fact that the deputy leader of the GP nominated her. Ha!

    Either Catherine Martin is absolutely certain that Hazel Chu has no chance of winning, in which case why embarrass the party for nothing, or she's playing a dangerous game with the parties reputation in government and should also lose her position.

    What a dysfunctional group.

    Catherine Martin is shooting out of both sides of the gun. She knows there's only one way to get your policies in place and that is through being in government, while also trying to ruffle Eamon Ryan's feathers simultaneously.

    I think the Green's should have ran someone anyway. It makes no sense not to. FG are running candidates so the Greens should as well. Fair play to them in my opinion.


  • #30
    Marcos
    Registered Users Posts: 509 ✭✭✭Marcos


    awec wrote: »
    Chairperson of the GP going against party decisions is quite the farce. This is just outright careerism. One foot in the GP, one foot as an independent, see which one results in a better position.
    You got it in one. Careerism is something the Greens used to be dead set against. Until some actually made careers out of being Green politicians. :rolleyes:
    awec wrote: »
    I read in one of the papers that she was courting other independents for backing. Does this means she intends to be truly independent and not an unofficial Green? Is she going to vote against government bills?
    She wants to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds and her tactic so far has been to describe anyone that calls her out a racist/bigot/misogynist/fascist/any other ist you wish to apply, as opposed to people who might genuinely have a problem with her approach.

    The question about her voting for government bills is a good one. I'd imagine if she actually was voted in as an independent then she'd be more than happy to vote for whatever she wants to vote for and not be bothered with anything like government policies.
    awec wrote: »
    I'm repeating what I said in the politics forum but it is time Ryan took action against those in his party who cannot follow party discipline.
    And risk pulling the government down before January 2022? AFAIK it's purely a coincidence that you have to serve in the Dail two years before TD and ministerial pensions kick in. Edit: Actually, after seeing Faugheen's post #32 with the Aoife Grace Moore tweet about the three green female senators putting forward a motion of no confidence in the Chair of the Party, Hazel herself, I could be totally wrong. Parties have split for less.

    When most of us say "social justice" we mean equality under the law opposition to prejudice, discrimination and equal opportunities for all. When Social Justice Activists say "social justice" they mean an emphasis on group identity over the rights of the individual, a rejection of social liberalism, and the assumption that unequal outcomes are always evidence of structural inequalities.

    Andrew Doyle, The New Puritans.



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  • #31
    Kivaro
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,105 ✭✭✭Kivaro


    awec wrote: »
    I actually missed the fact that the deputy leader of the GP nominated her. Ha!

    Either Catherine Martin is absolutely certain that Hazel Chu has no chance of winning, in which case why embarrass the party for nothing, or she's playing a dangerous game with the parties reputation in government and should also lose her position.

    What a dysfunctional group.

    This could be the catalyst for the Green Party split.
    And if there was an agreement in Government that the first 2 Seanad by-elections would go to the bigger 2 parties, and the next one would go to the Greens, then the Green Party are deliberately reneging on their deal. Meanwhile, both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail are bending over backwards in order to fulfil their commitments to the Green Party in their program for Government.
    The Green Party is not looking good however this plays out.


  • #32
    Faugheen
    Site Banned Posts: 12,341 ✭✭✭✭Faugheen


    https://twitter.com/aoifegracemoore/status/1374767465117405198?s=20

    This is the most boring 'scandal' of all time but the Greens are really showing themselves up over this.

    Do they put a motion of no confidence in the Deputy Leader/Cabinet Minister or the Junior Minister who nominated her? If not then it's an awful look.

    Just let her run ffs.


  • #33
    PunkIPA
    Registered Users Posts: 87 ✭✭PunkIPA


    She has an absolutely almighty job to do to get elected as a SocDem in DBS. The left-wing inner city vote there is with SF and won't be moving, and the left-liberal vote in the leafier environs I think aligns much more closely with Ryan's politics than the Lord Mayor's.

    If she defects to the SocDems the blame rests with her current enablers.


  • #34
    Necro
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 52,134 Mod ✭✭✭✭Necro


    keano_afc wrote: »
    Standing because the Seanad needs to more diverse? Doesn't she repeatedly tell us she's Irish? The Seanad is full of Irish people.

    Threadbanned


  • #35
    PunkIPA
    Registered Users Posts: 87 ✭✭PunkIPA


    Faugheen wrote: »
    https://twitter.com/aoifegracemoore/status/1374767465117405198?s=20

    This is the most boring 'scandal' of all time but the Greens are really showing themselves up over this.

    Do they put a motion of no confidence in the Deputy Leader/Cabinet Minister or the Junior Minister who nominated her? If not then it's an awful look.

    Just let her run ffs.

    This is actually quite explosive. General Election in 2021 is 2/1 on Paddy Power, looks a decent bet. The party has been tearing itself apart at the seams for quite a while over being in government in the first place, CETA etc. This could be the excuse needed by the watermelon faction (green on the outside, red on the inside) to bring the whole thing down.


  • #36
    Marcos
    Registered Users Posts: 509 ✭✭✭Marcos


    keano_afc wrote: »
    She'll join the Social Democrats. Match made in heaven.

    Well, there's a lot of overlap already. Look at Anne Marie McNally, former Soc Dems candidate in Dublin Midwest and their Political Communications Director who was appointed as a government advisor to Green Party's Joe O'Brien last month at €65k a year, not too shabby.

    When most of us say "social justice" we mean equality under the law opposition to prejudice, discrimination and equal opportunities for all. When Social Justice Activists say "social justice" they mean an emphasis on group identity over the rights of the individual, a rejection of social liberalism, and the assumption that unequal outcomes are always evidence of structural inequalities.

    Andrew Doyle, The New Puritans.



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  • #37
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 54,091 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    Faugheen wrote: »
    https://twitter.com/aoifegracemoore/status/1374767465117405198?s=20

    This is the most boring 'scandal' of all time but the Greens are really showing themselves up over this.

    Do they put a motion of no confidence in the Deputy Leader/Cabinet Minister or the Junior Minister who nominated her? If not then it's an awful look.

    Just let her run ffs.

    She definitely cannot be allowed to run now as a Green.


  • #38
    Amirani
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,534 Mod ✭✭✭✭Amirani


    Faugheen wrote: »
    https://twitter.com/aoifegracemoore/status/1374767465117405198?s=20

    This is the most boring 'scandal' of all time but the Greens are really showing themselves up over this.

    Do they put a motion of no confidence in the Deputy Leader/Cabinet Minister or the Junior Minister who nominated her? If not then it's an awful look.

    Just let her run ffs.

    She is being allowed run, but fellow party members obviously feels she shouldn't remain party chairperson, which is fair enough IMO.


  • #39
    Eric Cartman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,280 ✭✭✭✭Eric Cartman


    Edz87 wrote: »
    Would have swore down she was going to run as a SD

    Seanad seems like a waste.

    (Thank fock)

    SD, GP and Labour will all effectively amalgamate next time round, the Green Party is falling apart, SD will take the mad ones, labour the sane, then SD will package itself up as not mad and whip them into becoming good labour ready candidates, shedding a few to PbP along the way.


  • #40
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 54,091 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    https://twitter.com/gavreilly/status/1374686960640483332?s=20

    So she'll be an unofficial, de facto Green rather than an actual independent. That said it's fairly clear that the whip means little in the GP.

    "as long as I'm still a member" a telling phrase.


  • #41
    Eric Cartman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,280 ✭✭✭✭Eric Cartman


    awec wrote: »
    https://twitter.com/gavreilly/status/1374686960640483332?s=20

    So she'll be an unofficial, de facto Green rather than an actual independent. That said it's fairly clear that the whip means little in the GP.

    "as long as I'm still a member" a telling phrase.

    "she contested the election because there were no other female candidates for the Industrial & Commercial Panel"

    Can you just do one thing without it being identity politics hazel, just one.


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  • #42
    PunkIPA
    Registered Users Posts: 87 ✭✭PunkIPA


    Party discipline has gone out the window it seems. There is obviously no fear of Ryan or any sanction that he could impose. I'd say he needs to crack the whip, and fast, but the Lord Mayor is supported by Martin and her faction, he can't very well discipline the Deputy Leader.

    If I was in Ryan's position I would feel my leadership is untenable. I would have a huge amount of respect for the guy if he resigned as a consequence of this whole affair.

    The level of disrespect he has been shown by his supposed supporters and colleagues is remarkable. Let's not forget, after resurrecting the party and leading it to it's best ever electoral result they tried to depose him.


  • #43
    L1011
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 69,547 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    awec wrote: »
    I actually missed the fact that the deputy leader of the GP nominated her. Ha!

    Either Catherine Martin is absolutely certain that Hazel Chu has no chance of winning, in which case why embarrass the party for nothing, or she's playing a dangerous game with the parties reputation in government and should also lose her position.

    What a dysfunctional group.

    She'll be certain she has no chance of winning, as she has no chance of winning. Even if every non-committed already vote went to her she couldn't - Labours 11 will go to Ahern, FF/FG have their deal which the remains of the Greens will also vote for and that doesn't leave enough. I can't remember if anyone else is running


  • #44
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 54,091 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    L1011 wrote: »
    She'll be certain she has no chance of winning, as she has no chance of winning. Even if every non-committed already vote went to her she couldn't - Labours 11 will go to Ahern, FF/FG have their deal which the remains of the Greens will also vote for and that doesn't leave enough. I can't remember if anyone else is running

    In which case this is a deliberate attempt by Martin to embarrass the party.

    They are completely dysfunctional. I voted Green, my mind has genuinely been blown the past year.


  • #45
    Eric Cartman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,280 ✭✭✭✭Eric Cartman


    awec wrote: »
    In which case this is a deliberate attempt by Martin to embarrass the party.

    They are completely dysfunctional. I voted Green, my mind has genuinely been blown the past year.

    Id more put it down to Hazel herself just wanting a few more column inches, she hasn't appeared in the headlines in a few weeks.


  • #46
    Underground
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,495 ✭✭✭Underground


    awec wrote: »
    https://twitter.com/gavreilly/status/1374686960640483332?s=20

    It's the Seanad at the end of the day, I mean who cares about it really. It's a sinbin for ousted TD's in the main. I'd be remiss if I didn't point out her p*ss poor justification for contesting the it though. As I said earlier, it's 40% women in there and will probably be majority women after the next round of elections. The gender card is a total nonsense play.

    She will get in. The way she's set this up we can tell that she already has the victim cards at the ready if she somehow doesn't get in too.

    Best of luck to her. I genuinely do hope she grows as a person and learns to put this divisive brand of identity politics to one side. She has demonstrated in the past to be a capable individual which is more than can be said for many a Seanad member. I'll keep an open mind and be open to changing my mind on her if she extends the same courtesy to me (ie the general public).


  • #47
    Itssoeasy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,339 ✭✭✭✭Itssoeasy


    TheValeyard wrote: »
    What has she done to deserve a place in the Seanad?

    Then again, what have 3/4 of them done to deserve a place there.

    Being unable to win a seat in the dail.


  • #48
    Itssoeasy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,339 ✭✭✭✭Itssoeasy


    I actually can’t blame the members of the Green Party who aren’t happy. Imagine any political party county councillors, city councillors, Lord Mayors, etc of any of the main parties deciding to go on a solo run as an independent while still being a member of the party. And was there a convention and she wasn’t selected or did she not get nominated or what happened ?


  • #49
    tayto lover
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 52,267 ✭✭✭✭tayto lover


    She’s going nowhere.
    Nearly everyone has seen through this self-server by now.
    Grasping at straws.


  • #50
    L1011
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 69,547 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    So there's 160 TDs and 58 Senators currently, which is the entire electorate for this. 218, so 110 votes needed to win on the first count.

    There's at least four candidates
    FF/FG: Gerry Horkan
    Labour: Ciaran Ahern
    Who Knows: Hazel Chu
    Independent: Billy Lawless.

    FF/FG have 107 votes between them here; and its quite clear the 3 existing Green Senators are now voting for the FF/FG candidate, along with some of the Green TDs. There's >110 votes and its done on the first count. A few FF/FG votes may go elsewhere but not in any number.

    Anyone running against Horkan is doing it for PR purposes. Ahern will get Labours 11 votes and may get one or two independents if he's lucky. Lawless will get a tiny handful of Independent votes.

    Chu knows this, and is doing it for PR purposes too - she cannot win.


    (the other panel is potentially more likely to go away from the FF/FG candidate, as SF + a number of the smaller parties are backing Ian Marshall, and there is more chance of an FF/FG vote slipping to him in the secrecy of the ballot)


  • #51
    Hi_thur_folks
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭Hi_thur_folks


    This may be a dumb question....sorry
    The Seanad elections are obviously coming up.
    Do we know when the next GE will be held?

    Thanks


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