Pre-election promises made by Government parties have amounted to little of substance, writes NOEL WHELAN
ONE THING is now apparent. The opportunity for real political reform presented by the economic crisis, the change of government and the shifts in the party system has been wasted.
The political parties, and the Government parties in particular, have managed and manoeuvred their way through the pressure for political change.
Before the election and throughout the campaign itself, all of the parties talked the talk around political reform. They spouted the language of grand redesigns on a range of issues, although whenever they were asked for specifics, they announced only superficial proposals for constitutional and political change.
They sounded radical by talking about citizens’ assemblies and constitutional conventions designed to allow us, as citizens, greater input to any process of reform. It was as if the more grand the tone and tenor of their contributions, the less substance there had to be.
The previous government shuffled through its last 18 months in power without delivering on even the minimalist reforms they had promised. Political reform does not cost a lot of money. Fianna Fáil and Green ministers had an opportunity to enact a lasting and positive legacy of transformative political change. The phrase “it’s the economy, stupid” is often used as an excuse for inaction.
One would have been entitled to hope that a fresh government of Fine Gael and Labour with such a historically large majority would have been much more energetic and ambitious for real improvement in our political system. Having talked in lofty and exalted terms this Government like so many governments before it delayed and then watered down a whole series of political reforms or so-called political reform initiatives.
Speaking in Glenties on Monday the Taoiseach rattled off a checklist of what in reality are small, incremental changes. The long overdue reform in political donations, while weaker than that recommended by tribunals, is welcome. So too are proposals to further protect whistleblowers and to register lobbyists. Strengthening anti-corruption legislation is also a good idea. Cumulatively, however, these changes amount to little more than tinkering at the edges.
The Dáil reform implemented by the Government has been minimalist. It has involved renaming committees and allowing for Friday sittings at which individual TDs can introduce Bills, almost all of which go nowhere.
In a classic delaying tactic in addressing the big issues, the Government has now dispatched the issue of constitutional reform to a very impressive sounding committee indeed – “the constitutional convention”.
It is a convention only in name, and will deal with only peripheral constitutional issues. It will have no binding impact on the pace or nature of any future constitutional change. Speaking in Glenties, Taoiseach Enda Kenny described the convention as an “influential adviser” to the Government. He did so thinking that he was thereby underlining its importance. Sir Humphrey himself could not have scripted or designed such false flattery.
It is disappointing that many of those who were so articulate on the need for real political reform and constitutional change on these pages and elsewhere in 2010 are now trying to talk up the potential of this supposed constitutional convention and are failing to see it for the facade it is.
This emperor has no clothes and will be left to make only non-binding recommendations. Its nakedness and powerlessness needs to be confronted now rather than allow a situation to continue where it is used as a substitute for any real change.
Perhaps most concerning of all is the track record to date of this Government when it has tried to amend or reform the Constitution.
While boldly trumpeting the potential impact of its initiative in proposing a constitutional change that would allow for Oireachtas inquiries, the Government made a mess of it. This week in Glenties Ministers continued to blame others rather than themselves for the rejection by the people of that particular referendum. They still fail to acknowledge that their decision to rewrite the all-party agreed wording so as to obstruct judicial protection for the rights of those before such inquiries was what adversely affected the passage of the proposal.
Speaking in Glenties on Thursday, Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar said one of the more frustrating aspects for the administration had been the demand from the media for “real political reform”, coupled with what he claimed was the media’s “total disinterest in it when it happens”.
However, there has yet to be any substantial political reform. When the Government actually gets around to real reform, it will find this writer and many others both interested and enthusiastic about it.
Varadkar also told his audience in Glenties that the current Government has arguably implemented more real political reform than the previous government had in its three terms. The point is indeed arguable, but even if it was true it does little more than suggest that the Government’s ambitions for reform are limited.
This Government expects loud applause for small steps while shrinking from making any big leaps forward. Given the circumstances in which it came to power, the mandate it enjoys, and the opportunity presented by the crisis it faced, it is clear that more should have been done. It has been busy and effective in tackling the economic crisis, but it is that very crisis that should be driving it to achieve greater political change. The Government should be displaying the legislative zeal of Lyndon Johnson in his first term as US president and the executive energy of Seán Lemass in his early years as taoiseach.
Instead, this Government has been hyperbolic in its language and cautious and conservative in its actions on political reform.