Catherine Martin to urge Green Party to keep fighting for 'green change'

Sat, 03 Oct, 2020 - 06:03

Paul Hosford Political Correspondent

Green Party Deputy Leader Catherine Martin will tell her party to keep fighting up to the Cabinet table for "green change".

The party's conference is being held online this year due to the ongoing Covid-19 but Ms Martin will reflect on a tough few months for the party-despite its election successes.

She will call for "collegiality" in the party and say that the division of the Programme for Government vote must be set aside..

In a strong message to supporters and coalition parties, Ms Martin will say that the Green Party "must keep fighting, campaigning, agitating for green change, green values, at every level from the European Parliament and the Cabinet table to every single community right across this island – north and south, east and west."

She will also talk about making this "a decade of change", moving away from fossil fuels, towards a clean energy base. But she will insist that as we do this, "it is vital that we protect the most vulnerable in our society.

"This transition must centre on the benefits for people and communities."

She will say that the party must focus on fairness and reducing inequality.

"We need to look beyond GDP – at poverty and income inequality, asking questions about success that focus on whether we are being fair to everyone, are we reducing inequality?"

There will also be a continuation of the theme of bringing the party closer to rural voters.

"We need to respect, value and protect rural Ireland, and this can only take place in partnership, in close consultation and collaboration with rural Ireland. The Green Party and rural Ireland have so much in common but this incredibly important relationship has, to date, not been utilised properly. This must change."

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