Corruption and cynical manipulation of the electorate have brought politics into disrepute as never before. What is needed, argues Peter White, is a fresh start
Every political party was fundamentally dishonest before the last election. They may argue about the fine print of their manifestos but one thing is certain: they all gave the impression that we could go on spending like crazy without significantly increasing taxes. Let us not forget sports palaces, Eircom share refunds or the billions promised by the left.
The deceit and incompetence of those in Leinster House have reached such depths that it will be difficult for us to maintain any self-respect if this goes on in our name any longer.
For about two years it has been plain that the State's finances were in serious trouble. When the Exchequer returns for 2000 were published, we could see that spending on day-to-day services was out of control. By about this time last year, the economy was clearly in free fall.
Should any possible doubt have remained, the Exchequer returns published in the first week of January 2002 spelt out that the country was heading into a brick wall. Day-to-day spending rose by about 20 per cent over the previous year while tax revenue was crawling along at 3 per cent.
We have no credible government, no credible opposition, no credible parliament. There is a yawning gap opening up for a new political party.
In the run up to the last election, Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats showed the boldness of a thief who walks into your house in broad daylight and steals. They stole power through deceit. Fine Gael and Labour are in an equally culpable position as they watched this happen and deliberately chose not to sound the alarm; this is despite pleadings to them to face the electorate honestly rather than try to be cuter than Fianna Fáil and the PDs.
So, why did people vote in the way they did? Quite simply, when you give people money they like it; when you take it away they do not. The most volatile vote is among the middle classes; they voted for more of what they had been getting . . . "show time". Without a single TD in Leinster House suggesting that the party might be over, they took in good faith the assurances from Fianna Fáil and the PDs.
Then there are the tens of thousands struggling to cope as they see others feasting on Ireland's economic growth. They voted for Sinn Féin, small parties and locally focused candidates who expressed the anger they feel. It is hardly surprising therefore, that Fine Gael and Labour were irrelevant.
It is not just lack of nerve and honesty that allowed this fraud to be perpetrated; it is lack of insight. The shallow cynicism of many of those engaged in or commenting on politics blinds them to the evidence that people do rise to courage and integrity when it is put before them. Over the last 20 years, Irish voters have rewarded those who took the hard truthful road on the economy.
In 1982, Fine Gael was almost the largest party in the State because it showed such leadership about our finances. In 1987, Fianna Fáil failed to get an overall majority because they could not stomach the hard road; the Progressive Democrats filled the gap with extraordinary success for a party's first election. In 1989, after the "Tallaght Strategy" by which Fine Gael forced the minority Fianna Fáil government to tackle the State's finances, support for Fine Gael went up, and the PDs who had codded around for those two years were decimated.
There are some fine people scattered on all sides of the Dáil and it is hard to understand why we did not hear them over the last two years. Contact your local TDs and ask them for an explanation as to why they got it so wrong.
Was it feeble-mindedness, fraud, the pressure of party discipline or something else? If you are not satisfied with the answer, bring about change.
Change is not as difficult as it might appear. There is a hole in the market opening up for a new political party, a party that is crying out to be born.
It would tell the people the truth, presenting clear financial realities and showing that every bit of public spending is a bit of taxation. It would recognise that there is nothing socially just about throwing away taxpayers' money; a low-tax/low-spend economy is ultimately healthier than a high-tax/high-spend economy.
There is a hunger to tackle inequities with new energy; those closest to social need should be those most enabled to do something about it.
Expenditure should be driven by real life on the ground, not by imaginings in Ministers' offices. We should stop trying to solve social problems with top down approaches. Modern society is too complicated for anything other than bottom-up solutions to work. Communities and focused groups of citizens who see specific needs should make presentations to Dáil committees that would be empowered to dispense funds for those programmes.
A new political force would work to abolish apartheid in education. There can be no justification for depriving tens of thousands of young people of the self-development and hope that is given to those whose parents can afford it. A new party would use the full resources of the State to root out the corruption that has been endemic in our society for decades. Anyone in public life who expresses surprise at recent revelations is being dishonest.
The surprise is not in what tribunals have discovered; the surprise is that some of it could be named so clearly. A new party would draw public support for increases in capital spending (roads, public transport and telecommunications) and curbs in current spending (the fruits of which you never see again). It would implement a spatial strategy that would boost economic growth across the island, taking the intolerable pressure off Dublin. It would encourage Ireland to really influence the development of a more democratic and socially just Europe, strong enough to shape world events.
Our political system should bring out the best in us, not be a constant reminder of the worst.
Peter White runs a public affairs consultancy. He was press secretary to Fine Gael in 1984-93