19 January, 2008

Hot-housed in the Hilton

Saturday 19th January 2008, 5.05 pm.

About three hundred members of the Green Party have been crammed into an over-crowded room in a hotel beside the Grand Canal in the middle of Dublin for the afternoon.

It's hot, damn hot. We've been debating the Lisbon Treaty for almost three hours now, and the room is boiling. Tensions have also been rising as speakers use their three minute slot to debate the motions.

That's Mary White, Deputy Leader; Senator Deirdre de Burca and Patricia McKenna, former MEP, just before the debate began. I had my three minute of fame, spoke in favour of the Treaty, and they passed in a blur.

About thirty members of the Party got their chance to come to the podium and express their views. Motion A supports the Treaty, Motion B opposes it, and Motion C supports the actions of the Greens in Government.

And as the votes come through.... Mostly for, but it seems hard to call whether it's two thirds one third.

It's a card vote...
Motion A For 195 (62.5%) , Against 117 (37.5%)
Motion B Significantly less than 50% in favour, so no vote called.
Motion C Not put to the floor, over 2/3 voted not to put to the floor

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