LEADERSHIP FIGHT
O’GORMAN PUTS CARDS ON TABLE AS MASH-UP HITS BOILING POINT
advance equality for women, for LGBTI+ people, for Travellers.
“They were never going to vote for the Green Party anyway.”
In an interview with earlier this week, Ms Hackett said she believes electing Mr O’Gorman Green Party leader is not the “image we want”.
Minister O’Gorman said he has had “far worse things said about me than that over the years”.
As he refused to get into a titfor-tat, he argued that Green Party members aren’t “overly focused in terms of that kind of personality side of things”. He did, however, disagree with Minister Hackett’s assessment
The Star that no Green seats are safe, stating that he would like to retain and build on the 12 seats the party already has in the Dail.
If he is elected leader, Mr O’Gorman said he wants to focus not only on climate policies but to show the public the Green Party has other priorities.
“[I want to make] sure that people understand the Greens are concerned about health, are concerned about housing, about cost of living issues,” he said.
Point
“I can point to what I have done in my department to actually assist those issues. But I don’t think the public understands our policy focus outside of the area of climate and biodiversity.”
Following an underwhelming local and European election campaign, the Greens lost its two MEPs, Ciaran Cuffe and Grace O’Sullivan. While the party maintained a strong base in Dublin at local council level, politicians in rural and other urban areas struggled.
Minister O’Gorman said he accepts his party “doesn’t have a good reputation in rural Ireland right now”.
However, he said he fears the conversation around the leadership has been too “black and white, simplistic’ and is “Dublin vs the rest”.
When asked what he knew about rural Ireland, he argued that his next-door neighbour in Mulhuddart growing up was a “farmer” and that while the area has built up now, he “grew up in the countryside”.
“As a party, we have to reflect maybe on the tone we’ve used in the past,” he continued.
“Certainly, I would have said 10 [or] 15 years ago, our tone was quite preachy.
“We have moved away from that. I’ve always consciously looked to move away from that.
“I’m much more comfortable with someone like Pippa or [Green Senator] Roisin Garvey, for example, going out to talk about rural issues because they have that lived experience. I recognise that I don’t.”
Voting in the Green Party leadership race starts today, with the winner being crowned on Monday.