Rhodri Griffiths opens Green Party conference
22 March 2007
Rhodri today called for a Welsh Assembly that will lead the way, not dragging its feet, in the challenge to create a sustainable, cohesive and happy society. Lambasting Rhodri Morgan's record on climate change, he said:
"No one can dispute that the political scene is changing rapidly. The Green Party is setting the agenda and others are following.
Up and down the country we see more Greens being elected and our percentage of the vote increasing. Northern Ireland has just returned Brian Wilson, its first Green Assembly Member, to Stormont, we have Darren Johnson and Jenny Jones representing the Green Party at the London Assembly, Jean Lambert and Caroline Lucas at the European Parliament and no less than 7 Green Members of the Scottish Parliament. Scots MSPs have told me that they expect to double this to 14 after May 3rd.
It's high time that we got to hear some strong Green voices in the Welsh Assembly. Just as the Labour Party took the initiative in South Wales in the early years of the 20th century, it is now time for the Green Party to take its place in the Assembly at Cardiff. We represent the new voice of radicalism and the new voice of global justice."
ENDS
Please see below the full text of Rhodri Griffiths' speech, the number one candidate for South Wales West
"Welcome to Swansea and welcome to Wales. Croeso i Gymru.
I am Rhodri Griffiths, the Welsh Assembly Regional List First Candidate for the South Wales West Region.
Welcome to a Wales which has been governed by the Labour Party since the Welsh Assembly was inaugurated in 1999. The Wales of another Rhodri: First Minister, Rhodri Morgan.
Rhodri Morgan delivered a long and detailed Christmas Message to the people of Wales which gave plenty of attention to the economy but which made no mention whatsoever of climate change. I made the point, in a letter in the Western Mail, that the First Minister appeared to be either unaware of what was going on around him, or else, if he was aware, appeared not to care about the greatest challenge facing us all.
Several weeks later my suspicions were confirmed: not only does Rhodri Morgan not care about the effects of climate change, he actually sees global warming as a wonderful business opportunity for Wales. Tourism will flourish and farmers will be able to grow grapes in abundance.
As for other parts of the world - like Bangladesh, facing inundation and much of Africa and the Middle East facing worsening drought - well, that's not our problem...
So much for the caring, ethical face of socialism...
Let's not forget that it was here in South Wales, just over 100 years ago that Keir Hardy, the first Labour MP was returned to Westminster. It has been in the valleys of South Wales that the Labour Party flourished as a radical force for social reform. It was a Welsh Labour minister, Aneurin Bevan, who set up the National Health Service...
The early pioneers of the Labour Party must be spinning in their graves at the grossly irresponsible and uncaring attitude of Rhodri Morgan.
Let us also remember that it was here in South Wales that, 250 years ago, the industrial revolution first began. If any country in Europe - or, for that matter, the world - has a duty and a responsibility to take a lead in reducing carbon emissions and combating the effects of climate change, that country is Wales.
If any politician should be shouldering the responsibility - instead of shirking it - it is Rhodri Morgan.
Rhodri Morgan's uniquely head-in-the sand attitude does, of course, stand out in stark contrast to that of most other politicians, who are currently falling over each other in the rush to steal the Green Party's clothes.
Fortunately, people are becoming increasingly shrewd in seeing through the spin and the green-wash. Trust and integrity are in short supply these days. Why has it taken the other parties over a decade to start addressing the issues the Green Party has been promoting since its inception?
Who can be trusted to deliver effective policies to tackle climate change?
Well, according to a survey carried out for the Guardian on Saturday, March 17th, 13% believed the Green Party had the best policy. The party of government, Labour came out with 16%, David Cameron's "green" Conservatives managed 14% and the Lib Dems were bottom at only 8%.
No one can dispute that the political scene is changing rapidly. The Green Party is setting the agenda and others are following.
Up and down the country we see more Greens being elected and our percentage of the vote increasing. Northern Ireland has just returned Brian Wilson, its first Green Assembly Member, to Stormont, we have Darren Johnson and Jenny Jones representing the Green Party at the London Assembly, Jean Lambert and Caroline Lucas at the European Parliament and no less than 7 Green Members of the Scottish Parliament. Scots MSPs have told me that they expect to double this to 14 after May 3rd.
It's high time that we got to hear some strong Green voices in the Welsh Assembly. Just as the Labour Party took the initiative in South Wales in the early years of the 20th century, it is now time for the Green Party to take its place in the Assembly at Cardiff. We represent the new voice of radicalism and the new voice of global justice.
Politics is no longer - as Peter Hain and Rhodri Morgan - would have us believe, a question of left versus right. It's a question of Green versus grey. The old ideology which has led us to the brink of environmental catastrophe has had its day. We don't need more aviation and motorway building; we need more renewable energy, a zero waste strategy and a green jobs revolution.
We need a tidal lagoon here in Swansea Bay - not a flight "service" between North and South Wales paid for at public expense.
Now is the time to ditch the economic "growth for growth's sake" ideology of the past and to adopt an entirely new ecological approach to managing our institutions and public services. To put communities before globalisation.
The time has come for Rhodri Morgan and his backward-looking friends to move aside and make way for a new breed of radical and visionary AMs to take their place at the Senedd.
We need a Welsh Assembly which is leading the way, not dragging its feet, in the challenge to create a sustainable, cohesive and happy society."
ENDS
