THERE IS nothing wrong with being ambitious in politics, but making exaggerated claims can be fatal. Fianna Fáil lost the confidence of the electorate through its mishandling of the economy and repeated assurances that the worst was over. Fine Gael is now treading the same dangerous ground by publishing policy documents that are heavy on aspiration but light on timescales and implementation details. In present circumstances, the public deserves straight talking, rather than old-style political slogans.
Publication of a policy document entitled “Reinventing Government” at the weekend was designed to attract publicity and confirm Fine Gael’s position as a government-in-waiting. But party leader Enda Kenny found himself on the defensive when he was unable to explain satisfactorily what would happen to HSE administrative staff when Fine Gael dismantles that organisation. To suggest they would be re-employed by private sector insurance companies under a reformed, single-tier health system was hard to credit. In the same way, promising to protect the vulnerable in society while cutting expenditure and making State services “smaller, cheaper and better” failed to convince.
Pledges to “dismantle” the HSE ; to “abolish” Fás or to “make a bonfire of 145 quangos” suggested a no-nonsense approach to reform and was designed to generate attractive media soundbites. But such undertakings fail to acknowledge that the functions of these organisations will not be extinguished and that new entities are likely to emerge. Describing these commitments as “the big picture”, Mr Kenny appeared to be unwilling or unable to deal with the implications of policy decisions. He did not inspire confidence. Part of Fine Gael’s difficulty may lie in the fact that its policies have been overtaken by events. A rapidly worsening fiscal situation meant its original plan for restoring the public finances and providing an economic jobs stimulus had to be revised. In the same way, “Reinventing Government” represents an expanded and updated version of an earlier “New Politics” document. Its “FairCare” policy proposes the establishment of a universal health insurance scheme and the dismantling of the HSE over five years.
Fine Gael has undertaken to cut the number of public servants by 10 per cent through voluntary redundancies and natural wastage. It has accepted the Croke Park deal in terms of pay. But State pensions are a separate and still uncertain issue. It promises to cap public sector salaries at €200,000 but this cannot apply where employment contracts exist. Offering more than can be realistically delivered damages credibility. The party has produced a useful analysis of what is wrong with the political and administrative systems and offers various paths forward in cutting expenditure and introducing reforms. Citizens of this State are facing into what are likely to be extremely tough and painful years. Pretending otherwise can only feed into a negative perception of politics and politicians. Straight talking and the establishment of clear and socially fair objectives are required.