Comments on: Iceland goes to the polls http://www.tallyroom.com.au/512 Elections and politics in Australia and around the world. Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:13:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Oz http://www.tallyroom.com.au/512/comment-page-1#comment-227 Oz Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:11:15 +0000 http://www.tallyroom.com.au/?p=512#comment-227 New interim Iceland PM is the first (openly) gay leader in the world. New interim Iceland PM is the first (openly) gay leader in the world.

]]> By: Oz http://www.tallyroom.com.au/512/comment-page-1#comment-221 Oz Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:57:20 +0000 http://www.tallyroom.com.au/?p=512#comment-221 So whaling has been in the news lately. Iceland's outgoing Minister for Agriculture recently raised Iceland's whaling quota. Iceland and Norway are the only countries that practice commercial whaling. As the Left-Greens are opposed to whaling, soon it'll just be Norway. In other news (perhaps more relevant) the President of Iceland has asked the SDA and the Left-Greens to form an interim government until elections can take place. So whaling has been in the news lately. Iceland’s outgoing Minister for Agriculture recently raised Iceland’s whaling quota. Iceland and Norway are the only countries that practice commercial whaling. As the Left-Greens are opposed to whaling, soon it’ll just be Norway.

In other news (perhaps more relevant) the President of Iceland has asked the SDA and the Left-Greens to form an interim government until elections can take place.

]]> By: Oz http://www.tallyroom.com.au/512/comment-page-1#comment-218 Oz Tue, 27 Jan 2009 05:48:14 +0000 http://www.tallyroom.com.au/?p=512#comment-218 The last point is an important distinction, but if the Left-Greens do get up, it's an enormous step for the "green" movement generally, especially as the Left-Green's have "Conservation of the environment" as their number one policy. The feminist "Women's Party" played a central role in its creation, so I think it's broader in scope and more sincere about its environmental and social justice credentials then other socialist parties with Green tacked onto the end. The threshold for getting seats in Iceland is 5% and there's a good chance of "Living Land" (the other environmentalist party) getting that this time around, though it seems the vast majority of the left/green vote has gone straight to the Left-Greens (funnily enough). The Progressive Party, who are the Independence Party's traditional coalition partners are also way up on 17%, so it's not possible to completely rule out an Indepedence/Progressive coalition yet, especially since the sitting Independence PM is retiring. The last point is an important distinction, but if the Left-Greens do get up, it’s an enormous step for the “green” movement generally, especially as the Left-Green’s have “Conservation of the environment” as their number one policy. The feminist “Women’s Party” played a central role in its creation, so I think it’s broader in scope and more sincere about its environmental and social justice credentials then other socialist parties with Green tacked onto the end.

The threshold for getting seats in Iceland is 5% and there’s a good chance of “Living Land” (the other environmentalist party) getting that this time around, though it seems the vast majority of the left/green vote has gone straight to the Left-Greens (funnily enough).

The Progressive Party, who are the Independence Party’s traditional coalition partners are also way up on 17%, so it’s not possible to completely rule out an Indepedence/Progressive coalition yet, especially since the sitting Independence PM is retiring.

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