The Government was forced to drop the fourth referendum, on measures to deal with judicial conduct, in the face of a united opposition, but not before there was a great trading of insults in the Dail. Some of the best remarks came from the Minister for Justice, John O'Donoghue, and were directed at the Labour spokesman Brendan Howlin. In the debate, he said Labour reminded him of "a drunken sailor not being in a position to contribute anything constructive who has sought to start a row instead". A predecessor of his, he continued, Gerry Collins "once said the Labour Party was like mother mo chroi's old dog, that they would go halfway down the road with any passerby". These two could very well be in the same cabinet in a year's time.