Green proposals:The Greens are not ruling out coalition with anyone after the general election, party leader Trevor Sargent told a news conference in Dublin yesterday.
However, he suggested an arrangement with Fianna Fáil was highly unlikely. "If pigs could fly," he said, "I'm sure that would also make news." He expressed deep scepticism that Fianna Fáil would, for example, accept Green Party proposals for ethical reform in politics.
"From our point of view a change of government means a change of policies and if you were to ask Fianna Fáil to buy the ethical reforms that we're putting out here, that would be one hell of a change," he said.
Asked about his stated position that if the party went into government with Fianna Fáil he would step down as leader but would be willing to serve in cabinet, Mr Sargent replied: "That's not my decision. That's a decision of the ardfheis, as far as I am interpreting the motion, which is to bring about a change of government. They haven't specified who's going to be in cabinet."
As regards being in government with Sinn Féin, he said: "We haven't ruled out any party, we're focusing entirely on policy."
Asked about his party's negotiating position on the alleged use of Shannon airport for "extraordinary renditions" of prisoners by the CIA to Guantánamo Bay and elsewhere, he said the Greens would be "insisting first of all that inspections take place".
