Want a new agenda? Well come and do it, Harris tells parties

HEALTH Minister Simon Harris, who has seen his political fortunes revive to such a point that he is virtually guaranteed retention in Cabinet, has urged parties not to look back on this crisis seeing themselves ‘standing on the sidelines’.

Mr Harris urged the smaller parties in the Dáil – the Green Party, the Social Democrats and Labour – to come to the country’s aid in this time of crisis and join a coalition government.

Mr Harris spoke directly to the members of the Green Party, the Labour Party and any other groupings that are possible coalition partners but reluctant to sign up for talks on the new framework document agreed by the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael leaders this weekend.

In an interview with the Irish Mail on Sunday he said: ‘If you don’t want to be in government now then when do you? You have a chance now to help rebuild your country, what an incredible thing to be involved in.

‘You know, I hear people talking about climate change being the biggest crisis of our generation – well come do something about it. I think that when people look back on political history, I don’t think it will favour those who decided to sit on the sidelines,’ Mr Harris added.

‘I don’t lecture anybody because everybody has a right to make their own decision according to their own mandate but if you don’t want to be in government now, when do you?’

He added: ‘It’s going to be tough, but that’s what we get elected to do, to make tough decisions. I’ve no doubt we could reach policy compromises and positions but people have to be in first. You know I hear a lot of people spending their political career talking about fixing the health service. Come do it.’