Mick Clifford: Rushing through complex legislation is a cynical move used by populist governments

The Government's bid to ram through 48 pages of amendments to a 20-page planning bill is straight out of the populist playbook it claims to oppose

Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien: The approach being adopted by Government is straight out of the populist playbook they claim to oppose. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA 

THE Government did its bit for populism this week. Figures from the two bigger parties in Government frequently decry the rise of populism, particularly the tenet thereof that infers there are easy solutions to intractable problems.

However, nobody in Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael ever acknowledges that populism, as it is currently evolving, is a product of misrule by establishment parties. Another example of that misrule was in evidence this week.