Programme for government

Reading the new programme for government offered up by the Fine Gael/Labour coalition, this blog was fascinated to read a quote from Albert Einstein in the opening chapter.

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

Interesting, but does this new programme for government, taken from two parties with two very different publicly stated doctrines, offer us "hope for tomorrow"?

Following on from calls by leading economists to burn the bondholders and pull out of the IMF deal, this government has started its economic proposals by suggesting renegotiation with the IMF. This renegotiation will be based upon reducing the interest rate of our loan by offering to reduce government deficits more efficiently. Despite this the deadline to reach 3% will be increased to 2015 (if the Eu approves). The programme promises to review the USC, but makes no promises on the outcome of this process. The recent cuts to the minimum wage are to be reversed.

The standard rate of VAT will be increased to 23%, while the lower rate will be reduced to 12%. Employers PRSI is to be halved, and a promise has been issued that income tax will not be risen.

And how do Fine Gael and the Labour party intend to pull this off. With some tough medicine.

Public spending will be cut by a further €3 billion in 2012. An obvious labour flavoured proposal not to cut social welfare seems to be at odds with this. 21,000 public sector workers will be laid off. The effects that this will have on our already burdened health and education systems is unimaginable.

The programme for government also contains several historic proposals that this blog would like to see passed, but worries wont be. These include the abolishment of the Seanad, and the legalisation of gay marriage. The term of the President is set to be reduced to five years, while the voting age is to be reduced to 17.

It remains to be seen if these two parties can honour their pre election promises to tackle mass unemployment and emigration by introducing sweeping job stimulus plans. If they don't, then we could be getting a new programme for government from a new government sooner than anyone thinks.