We need to hear both sides on upcoming referenda

World of Politics with Harry McGee – harrymcgee@gmail.com

It’s a quiet week politically with Leinster House just rousing itself back into action after its usual school holiday break at Easter.

With the Dáil not resuming until yesterday, there was very little happening. Just about the only thing of note was that that the Referendum Commission launched its official information campaign on Monday.

There was a time when the Commission set out the arguments for a Yes and No vote. But various legal challenges over the years have reduced its role to setting out the facts and the law. Which is fine, up to a point.

But what people really want is to get as fair and objective view as possible on the Yes and No arguments, free of political or ideological slant. Unfortunately, a Fianna Fáil-led government took that decision out of the Commission’s hands.

Sure, it is hard to come up with the precise wording that will make the issues and arguments clear, without being accused of bias.

But it is better that an independent commission, which can show it has no skin in the game, sets out the arguments on both sides in a way that will allow citizens reach a decision.

The Government tried its own version in the children’s referendum with an information booklet. That was successfully challenged in the courts because some of the contents clearly favoured the Yes argument it was advancing – the Government could not have been seen to be a neutral party.

Sure it could be said that the Yes and No campaigns in each referendum will ably put forward their views. But in some referendums (like the Children’s referendum and possibly the same-sex referendum) the overwhelming consensus among politicians and civil society leaders is for a Yes vote with a small minority putting the case for the other side.

You just wish that there was an honest broker that could point (in an unemotional way) to the various arguments for and against.

I don’t think it will be a huge problem in the same-sex marriage referendum where there will be vigorous debate (though not without emotion and OTT claims).

It’s a big problem though for the referendum on the age of Presidential eligibility. If you read the Referendum Commission information leaflet, what you are told is really no more than the following. The current age of eligibility is 35. The referendum proposes to reduce it to 21.

There is no background, no explanation as to why the referendum has come about, no arguments for and against.

There is little more than bare facts, hardly enough to allow people reach an informed decision on voting Yes or No.

What it cries out for is an explainer telling why the referendum is being held.

Of course, the reason is that it was a recommendation from the Constitution Convention. This was one of the ‘big ideas’ of the current Coalition for political reform.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.