Progressive Democrats

Well, we're talking history, and tonight we are talking to Vincent Browne about the life and legacy of Charles Hawhey.

We're going to take a quick break now, but when we come back, we'll be talking about his return to office in 1987, his coalition with the PDs in 1989, and the downfall of Charles Hawhey.

So stay with us here on Newstalk.

Talking history with Patrick Gagan on Newstalk.

Hoya had failed to get an overall majority in 1987 and therefore Alan Dukes' promise not to use the opposition to do what Hoya would have done in similar circumstances to oppose the government.

And those three factors were really significant in what was achieved in 1987.

he calls a general election in 1989, doesn't get the majority he was hoping for and is forced to go into coalition with his hated enemy, Dez O'Malley.

And that coalition with the progressive Democrats, in a way, that marks the beginning of the end for him because perhaps he stayed on for too long, but the flaws started to become more noticeable and the controversies became more damaging.

Even with parties, they don't really fall over themselves to bring you into it.

So the Progressive Democrats were looking for candidates.

And they approached me, PJ Long out there in Jamestown, and asked me would I consider joining the PDs.

And I did.

So after my foray in that...

And you realise then it's not local politics anymore.

You know, you're being challenged on, especially as I was running for the Progressive Democrats and they were, whatever policies they had at the time, you'd have to be able to answer every one of them.

When you were on the town council, you'd be kind of saying, well, let Michael McDowell answer for himself.

Well, Bertie was successful in three, uh, consecutive general elections beginning in 1997.

He went into government with the Progressive Democrats after that, and, and managed to m- retain power for, uh, through 2002 election, and then finally in the 2007 general election.

Three five-year, two, two f- three five-year terms, although his, his last term was cut short because of the revelations of the tribunal, and he resigned from politics in, in May 1998...

I'm sorry, in May 2008, as a direct consequence of what had been exposed by ourselves and by, and by the tribunal itself, obviously.

Well, Bertie was successful in three consecutive general elections beginning in 1997.

He went into government with the Progressive Democrats after that and managed to retain power through the 2002 election and then finally in the 2007 general election, three five year terms, although his last term was cut short because of the revelations of the tribunal and he resigned from politics in May 1998, I'm sorry, in May 2008 as a direct consequence of what had been exposed by ourselves and by the tribunal itself, obviously.

Yeah.

And they call him the Teflon Taoiseach because, you know, he keeps coming back and we saw him attempt to run for president a couple of years ago.

That was 20%, and it was introduced.

Remember, the Progressive Democrats drove, uh, a, a decrease there right down to 20% standard income tax rate, but there was a huge uplift in tax revenue.

When capital gains tax started to be reduced, there was a huge uplift in tax revenue because people started to sell things.

People, it, it created activity.

you know, in that they change, yet the case is that they change behaviour.

We talked about this in our Progressive Democrats

series when there was a significant change at the peak of the Celtic Tiger and it didn't...

Charlie