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GOVERNMENT CHIEF WHIP Paul Kehoe has reiterated that Fine Gael will look at loosening the strict party whip system after the next election.
The whip system has been widely criticised in this government’s lifetime most notably when seven Fine Gael TDs and senators voted against abortion legislation last year and were automatically expelled from the parliamentary party.
Kehoe described the whip system as the issue which frustrates backbenchers the most and identified three areas where it could potentially be loosened: electing the Ceann Comhairle, the Order of Business and on some Oireachtas committees.
“This is something I am very aware of, that backbenchers have been on to me about,” he told TheJournal.ie at the Fine Gael think-in at Fota Island yesterday.
“It’s probably one of the biggest single issues that frustrates backbenchers the most, especially on the committees.”
He added: “It’s definitely something we will look at after the next general election.”
Kehoe made a similar pledge over a year ago amid mounting pressure from some backbenchers for a looser whip system to be applied on some Dáil and committee votes.
Amid mounting criticism over its handling of the banking inquiry earlier this year the government said that no whip would be applied to its members on the special Oireachtas committee.
However Kehoe cautioned that loosening the whip system across the board at committee level may not be possible, saying there could be no free votes when the Finance Committee is passing legislation giving effect to budget measures.
He acknowledged there has been “huge criticism” of the government’s strict applicatin of the whip because of its large Dáil majority and said that Fine Gael TDs elected in 2011 have been particularly vocal on the issue.
Kehoe also denied that the banking inquiry had been damaged by the government’s move to add two extra members to the committee after it inadvertently lost its majority earlier this year.
Kehoe admitted the matter was handled badly in the Seanad but insisted: “It wasn’t my fault. If you reflect back it was actually a Senate issue.
“I am not going to blame anyone, but the people know themselves. But I don’t think the banking inquiry is damaged in anyway.”
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The whip system should be illegal. We elect TD’s because we think they will make decisions that will help us. Under the whip system they can’t make decisions at all but must follow the party line. Look at the US which doesn’t have a whip system – Democrats and Republicans often vote for bills introduced by the other party or vote against bills introduced by their own party. If you suggested to US senators that they should just follow the party line, they’d think you were mad.
I lost you there when you used the US system as an example that could be used here.
The US has a presidential system. Whips are important in a parliamentary system because the government relies on majority support in order to exist. Could the whip be eased up? Absolutely! We have the one of the least freewheeling legislatures in Europe. But it can’t be gotten rid of wholesale and it’s patently not illegal for political parties to enforce policy discipline.
BTW, there are plenty of party line votes in the States. The House largely votes in party blocs – and they have whips, incidentally – while senators generally get a lot more latitude (it’s the nature of the Senate and their statewide constituencies) but not an inexhaustible amount.
I didn’t say it was illegal – I said it should be illegal. Parliaments are supposed to debate policy and there is supposed to be the possibility of changing minds through debate. Instead, in Ireland, the dail is largely used to rubberstamp the decidions taken at cabinet. I don’t believe it is good for democracy that the senior members in a political party with a majority can decide policy at cabinet which they can enforce through the whip system. It defeats the point of having a parliament or of voting for particular individuals in general elections over others.
Whatever the merits and demerits of the whip system, the Cabinet’s job is to decide policy!
Laws are enacted by the majority vote of TDs, not by decisions at cabinet. If the cabinet decides on a policy and cannot convince TDs to support it without imposing the whip system, then in my view it should not be enacted. Similarly, if TDs put forward a bill that would have the support of a majority of TDs in a free vote, then it should be enacted.
Paul Kehoe is no Frank Underwood.
House of Cads.
As a resident of Wexford, I think I can safely say Paul Kehoe won’t be in a position to consider anything after the next election. Another Enda “yes man”, he makes Phil Hogan look like a socialist.
” definitely something we will look at after the next general election” you have to laugh at that typical politician promising the earth moon and stars after the next election….
As a resident of Wexford, I think I can safely say Paul Kehoe won’t be in a position to consider anything after the next election. Another Enda “yes man”, he makes Phil Hogan look like a socialist.
If they don’t there will be no TDs left on the party soon
The whip system could be loosened but for many issues it is necessary. Small vocal groups could have more influence by targeting TDs like what happened with the abortion legislation last year.
I don’t believe him. He’ll be gone in 6 months.
I’m gonna do the suicidal thing and try to convince you that the whip system is better than an open system.
The system we have now is very simple. You get to vote whatever way you like at the party conference for the party policy platform, but whatever way the final vote goes you back the party decision in the Dail and during the election, that seems perfectly fair to me.
I know the US system well it’s an utter disaster.
The President runs on a set of policies, he gets elected based on those policies, and then when he gets into office since there is no whip system he has to bargain and bribe every individual back arse end of nowhere congressman and senator for individual votes for individual proposals. So then you end up with ridiculous deals like in the healthcare plan where ONE state and one only got all it’s medicare costs paid federally, where a small group of senators say they are opposed to a key section of the bill and won’t let it pass…and you have to bribe them all with deals and pork barrel spending to get them in favor of it.
Imagine 166 Jacke Healey Raes, that’s what we’d have without the whip system, each one needed to be bribed and cow-towe’d too. Now sure we’d have the odd Russ Reingold, Bernie Sanders, Liz Warren or Ted Kennedy, but mostly it would be parish pump on steroids.
We should loosen it so stuff that was not voted on at the party conference is free vote but beyond that, it would be insane to drop it.
Adding the extra members to the committee after losing the majority ….. all we needed to know about FG. Enda will be in charge after next election as FF have proven themselves utterly incapable.
have your say