Reduce the power of politicians

WHEN governments make unpopular decisions, there are spin doctors telling us “it’s a democracy“, and we must accept the decisions or vote them out in five years’ time. That’s the shallow democracy for the little people.

Back in 2006, when it was known that more houses were being built than even the frenzied market was buying up, the banks were lobbying to get the regulations changed to allow even riskier gambles.

Despite concerns, the Government passed the bill just before the 2007 election. Bankers and developers got their bill while we were still listening to empty election promises. Every single TD should have been jumping up and down at how dangerous this was for the country, but they were focused on getting re-elected, not on safeguarding the country.

Having done nothing to alert the public, or resist the legislation, the last government condemned the critics and then tried to convince us to blame ourselves, as if borrowing money for a house, and paying it back brought down the country. The opposition acted like blameless bystanders. Safeguarding the nation is the duty of all TDs.

Minister Brendan Howlin seeks a referendum giving politicians more power, when they did not use the existing powers, when the problem was smaller. If they had fought against the bankers bill back in 2007, we wouldn’t have experienced the financial black hole that resulted in the banking guarantee less than 18 months later.

We should reduce the powers of politicians, outlaw the party whip system, which coerces TDs into giving their voting allegiance to vested private interests, rather than employing vigilance and conscience to vote, based on considered judgement.

We should introduce a system for recall elections, so when a TD, (or whole government) goes far astray, the people have a peaceful, legal way of saving the country from ruin.

Tim Hourigan

Cedar Court

Kennedy Park

Limerick