Government wants your vote at any price... well, almost

BANG! And there goes the gavel for the resumption of auction politics. Last seen in 2007, the post-crash version is a bedraggled shadow of its former self, but seems to be the only big idea an increasingly scared-looking Government has for the next election.

First up from the floor, to bid for your vote, is Brendan Howlin, as the public expenditure reform minister suddenly realises the toll that three-and-a-half years of wage pain have taken on public sector workers.

Mr Howlin now plans to open talks with trade unions, to reverse some of the pay and pension cuts, as the Haddington Road Agreement begins to expire in the middle of 2016 — tellingly, just after the slated date for the next general election.

But the move to offer a chink of hope for a return to better times is a risky one, as unions are now calling for talks immediately, as the HRA has a clause allowing such an early trigger.

Given the confusing signals put out by this Government, it is no wonder everybody is moving in on what little extra money there may finally be in the coffers, as tax returns take a sudden upswing.

Because look who has been manically waving his arms at the auctioneer, and making exciting sounds about setting the tax slaves at the margins free of their current burden in the October Budget — yes, it’s none other than Finance Minister Michael Noonan.

The Government has learned nothing from its failure to manage expectations in the run-up to the last election, and, although on a smaller scale, is stoking-up the same problems yet again.

Tinkering with tax rates, and offering the return of some pay cuts — maybe — is certainly better than nothing, but it does all have the whiff of a political con-trick about it, when you consider that any gains are likely to be more than wiped out by the imposition of water charges two weeks before the Budget speech.

When the first bills thud onto the hallway floor, in January, it will certainly not be a happy new year for most, especially families of the 25,000 18-year-olds still at school, who will be hit with a €102 payment demand each, prompting real fears that such a tipping of the already tight financial scales may force people out of education early.

The upshot of the monetary manoeuvrings would not so much be robbing Peter to pay Paul, more subjecting Peter to water torture so that Paul can be splashed with a few drops of tax relief.

Irish Water blithely states that water meters mean people will be able to monitor their use and bring the bills down, which is all very lovely, but since only about 30% of homes will have had them installed by the time the bills flood in, not really much use.

Not that the opposition parties are behaving much differently in this threadbare theatre of political bribery. Fianna Fáil are railing against the injustice of the water charges, while conveniently forgetting that under the terms imposed when they capitulated to the IMF/EU/ECB troika and surrendered the country’s economic sovereignty, in 2010, the tax would have been brought in earlier and at a higher rate.

Still, there’s always Sinn Féin’s magic wealth tax, which will solve all the ills of the country without inflicting any pain on anyone except the rich. Hmm.

But surely the Government has our best interests at heart in other matters, such as health, doesn’t it?

And they would not cave in on such a seemingly beneficial, Europe-leading policy of insisting cigarettes are sold in plain packaging — to stop tobacco giants using bright colours and seductive designs to lure young people, especially girls, into the cancer-causing habit — would they?

Fianna Fáil deserves much credit for bringing in the smoking ban despite sustained domestic resistance, and it will be very interesting to see if Enda Kenny can show the same political spine by facing-down international big-business anger at Ireland attempting to limit the number of cancer victims by pushing through with the plain-packaging initiative, which is likely to be waylaid in the courts for years to come.

But then, you could say Mr Kenny appointed Leo Varadkar to the role of health minister in a bid to plain-package his Government in the run-up to the general election.

The Taoiseach hopes the bluff, business-like Mr Varadkar will avoid the garish-colour and headline-grabbing drama of predecessor James Reilly and put health policy firmly in the background.

It is not the most inspirational attitude towards governing a country, but, as this Coalition has let things drift so far for so long, it would seem to be the best they can manage.

And it fits into the Government’s attitude to what’s been happening in Gaza.

What does Mr Kenny think? Who knows? He has not uttered a word on the situation.

His only opinion could be summed up as: “Yeah, whatever Europe says. I don’t know, don’t expect me to have an opinion, I’m only prime minister.”

But do not worry, because new Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan has threatened to send a “strongly worded” letter to Israel, if they resume the grossly disproportionate and indiscriminate bombardment of Gaza.

Benjamin Netanyahu must be terrified at the prospect of that.

Back home, there is chatter in Fine Gael ranks that this Budget may be Mr Noonan’s last, before he steps down from Cabinet early, then bows out of national politics completely at the next election, so this could be the last smack of the gavel for Limerick’s sphinx-like survivor.

But, whatever his destiny, the outcome of the auction is patently clear for this Coalition, as the only result can be: “Going! Going! Gone!”