This morning.
Kildare Street, Dublin 2
Dublin Lord Mayor Hazel Chu passing an Extinction Rebellion protest outside Leinster House.
Mayor Chu is the Chair of the Green Party, but has announced she wants to run in the Seanad by-elections next month as an independent candidate.
She said:
“Though I am a Green member, I understand I am not endorsed by the party since the executive made the decision not to hold a selection convention. I also understand there is no pact in place with any other parties as confirmed by the leader at the last executive meeting. I am not looking for any support from the party since this was a personal choice to ensure that there is proper representation,”
“In the current climate, it is important to have women and minorities represented at this election. This choice, as I said, is a personal one, as is my candidacy. After spending the year speaking to children from all backgrounds that anyone can run for election I felt that it was essential I follow what I preach.
Hazel Chu to run as independent candidate in Seanad by-election (Irish Examiner)
Meanwhile…
I see @hazechu is running for the #Seanad. That’s fair enough and I wish her well… BUT the office of @LordMayorDublin deserves more respect than this. It is not a stop gap position.
If Cllr Chu is willing to resign as Mayor if elected as Senator, then better to resign now.
— Derek Mooney (@dsmooney) March 22, 2021
get off the road freaks!
If Atwood and Marceau had babies…
Chu realising the Greens aren’t the flavour of the month anymore and jumping ship pronto, can’t blame her but it’s a bit brazen.
Hedging her bets.
they’re all over the shop
I thought Ms. Chu was a genuine Green…Actually she is a genuine Green with zero scruples in deserting the Greenwash party and behaving as a careerist.
Good luck to her it should assist in the Greenwash party decline
Eye’s on the road there Hazel – not the show. The Traffic Lights are already amber.
Fair play to Hazel
She got all the way to the second paragraph there without mentioning gender or ethnicity.
A massive improvement. Bravo Hazel Bravo!
It’s a bit Mary Robinson – get the “better” job before you’ve finished the current job… although I would say in this instance she’d have a higher profile as Lord Mayor of Dublin than the Seanad
Anyway, I’m off to burn down a bog for the day…
All aboard the gravy train, Chu Chu!
That’s a bit too cynical for me Bert
but I do have to air my disappointment that the Lord Mayor has decided to leave representative politics after less than two years as a local Councillor
And like everything I have had to say about Mary Robinson leaving her gig ahead of time
equally applies to Hazel Chu, maybe even more as her constituents will have to accept a co-opt for her seat now (if she’s successful of course)
and that’s not the local rep they voted for
At least with the Áras the opportunity to elect a new incumbent was put to the voter
If there was a snap general election I could understand – going from local rep up to National
But to the Senate – as an independent
dunno, I think all that might back fire tbh
+1 V
Seanad elections are very very crowded for the independents. Of all the election races to enter, the Seanad could be the Grand National for indies…. with many barely getting off to a start at all.
Not necessarily
but you do need a platform
or an recognisable established background in activism
And Nationally – local meals and wheels, tidy towns doesn’t cut it.
Which I don’t see here with the Lord Mayor
and the Greens don’t have enough Councillors nor are there enough Indos in the Seanad Voters Register to get her over the line
If she’s canvasing just on a platform of diversity etc – she’ll fall flat on her face
My pal, one of the sharpest political minds I’ve ever known, swears its the worst election to throw yourself into
I don’t know who is advising her, but Hazel Chu should hold still until a General
If Eamon Ryan retires – DBS is all hers – even if he doesn’t, she has a great career ahead of her there in DBS
Fair cop that
Does ex-FF Derek have the same view about Paul McAuliffe who ran for the Dáil while Lord Mayor in 2020?
A female politician having ambitions plans for her future career doesn’t seem quite worth the opprobrium.
Who mentioned anything anybody’s sexuality; look at Nigel up there running around looking for posts to offend himself with.
Good job Nigel, be sure to seek out anything that could be deemed independent thinking and shake your fist hard at the screen.
I am NFTing your comment with the blockchain as an example of independent thought and selling it for a million bitcoins.
“NFT”?
Non Fungible Tokens. All the ballsy investors are getting into them.
I’ll just stop askin’ :)
Wise, though the sheer nonsense of it all might appeal to you.
What’s offensive to Nige today then? The cry-bully finger shifts so quickly on his offence-ometer that I can’t keep up!
Lads what happened to the house price post?
millie, we were told some details about the circumstances behind the sale and felt it would be compassionate to remove the post.
(net it was break even at best,a most delightful property,so a willing seller then bodger:)
grand so.
Respect, Broadsheet. Hugs to those in pain or difficulty.
Cheers Bodge.
Very welcome.
Tsk tsk tsk. Another one who thinks she’s above rules.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/hazel-chu-didnt-seek-permission-for-st-stephens-green-event-40236983.html