FG failing to provide opposition as PDs struggle to prove their worth

WITH inflation growing at twice the current European average, we are clearly in troubled waters, and the ship of State is taking on water.

There is no doubt that those in charge have to cut back on spending to get back on an even keel, but elements of the crew are showing signs of mutiny, because their officers are not only seasick but also politically incontinent. They are making an unholy mess.

"We need a strong government to take unpopular decisions in the short-term and to place the long-term overall good before short-term expediency," Charlie McCreevy explained in April 1981 as he denounced the infamous Fianna Fáil election manifesto of 1977. "If political parties continue to disgrace themselves, then democracy itself is at risk."

Now we are at even greater risk, because of the lack of a credible alternative government. The danger is that the current government's irresponsibility could generate something akin to political anarchy. It may be too early to write off Fine Gael under Enda Kenny, but he and his colleagues should recognise that their party stands for nothing.

During the last general election campaign, Fine Gael tried to outbid everyone with spending promises that people obviously realised were even more false than the promises of Bertie's bunch.

Had Fine Gael pursued honest policies prior to the last election, it might not have gained power, but it would be in a much better position now to mount an opposition and capitalise on Fianna Fáil's reckless extravagance and rank dishonesty.

Let's face it, Fine Gael wasn't as bad as Fianna Fáil; it was worse, and that was reflected in the drubbing it got when it lost more than 20 seats. Unless the party decides to stand for something positive, the recent public opinion poll could be a portent of an even bleaker future.

Fine Gael has done best when it stood for something, such as taking a strong stand on security issues under Liam Cosgrave, or on the need for a pluralist approach to reform under Garret FitzGerald. On too many other occasions, however, the party has resorted to merely opposing Fianna Fáil. Michael Noonan became leader of the party due to his record in bashing Fianna Fáil, not because he had ever achieved anything worthwhile politically.

He was a disaster both as Minister for Justice in the 1980s, and as Minister for Health in the 1990s.

He was the one, for instance, who highlighted the telephone tapping scandal in 1982, but he failed dismally, because he sought to use the scandal for purely political ends, rather than trying to get to the truth. Remember how Fine Gael and Labour pilloried Haughey and company for tapping journalists?

We were told that journalists should not be tapped in a democracy, but we were not told that they did not dare hold an inquiry because senior party members knew that it would come out that Fine Gael and Labour had already tapped Vincent Browne and Tim Pat Coogan.

Garret FitzGerald candidly told Vincent Browne one night that he was tapped because he had previously been in touch with some Provo and the government thought he might get back in touch with him again. Was that more valid than tapping Geraldine Kennedy and Bruce Arnold to learn the source of Cabinet leaks? Both of them had been privy to Cabinet leaks.

Michael Noonan and his colleagues were economical with the truth about the tapping.

Haughey survived and the whole thing ended up costing the taxpayers a lot of money, as Kennedy, Arnold and Browne successfully sued the State.

Noonan was probably trying to save the State some money when he attempted to frustrate Brigid McCole's efforts to secure damages for what amounted to the destruction of her life over the tainted blood scandal. In the process he mismanaged the whole affair and demonstrated an appalling lack of compassion. Yet Fine Gael had him as the man who was promising to clean up the mess in Justice and Health during the last general election campaign. The party was only fooling itself.

The last time that Fine Gael really stood for something was in the late 1980s. Following his election as party leader in 1987, Alan Dukes announced that he would back Charles Haughey's government as long as it implemented the necessary economic policies to revive the economy. The government did the difficult job and Dukes supported it, but then Haughey was overcome by greed and vanity. He tried to exploit the situation by going to the country in an effort to secure an overall majority in 1989.

Fine Gael made distinct gains in that election, while Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats lost most seats. Haughey was saved when the PDs came to his rescue. With Michael McDowell as a driving force as chairman of the party, the PDs made a hell of an impact within government during the next three years.

They ousted Tánaiste Brian Lenihan, forced the withdrawal of James McDaid's nomination as Minister for Defence, compelled the Taoiseach Charlie Haughey to walk the plank, and they eventually brought down Albert Reynolds as well. That was some record for just one Dáil.

Noel Dempsey had better watch out, because he too could find himself on the plank, or thrown overboard impaled on an oar.

The latest crisis is over the proposed reintroduction of university fees. The Taoiseach has given an assurance that only the very wealthiest will have to pay, but nobody seems to believe him, which is hardly surprising.

His government lied brazenly to the country last year that there were no plans for cuts, after it had secretly requested cuts. McCreevy openly sought to mislead the electorate about the cuts.

Every member of the Government was aware of this and thus endorsed his duplicity. The absurdity of the whole thing was pointless.

Fianna Fáil did not win as a result of false promises; if anything they threw away an overall majority.

The Progressive Democrats made the greatest gains ever by a minority party in a coalition, and those were largely attributed to a masterstroke by Michael McDowell, who called for support in order to prevent the return of Fianna Fáil as a majority government.

Not only did Fianna Fáil lie shamelessly last year, the Taoiseach added insult to injury last weekend by arguing that the party had not tried to mislead the country during the general election campaign. Having treated us as gullible then, he seems to think that he can get away with treating us as both gullible and stupid now.

What is the point in reintroducing university fees if they will only affect a select few? In that case they won't raise much money. People over 18 are responsible for themselves by law, but this government is trying to insist that their parents pay for them at university.

What's next the reintroduction of second-level fees? PD supporters are likely to be the people who will be hardest hit by the latest proposal. Michael McDowell faces a real test demonstrating whether there was any point in having the PDs block Fianna Fáil's bid for an overall majority. Are the PDs going to allow Fianna Fáil to ignore them?