The Dermot Morgan character, Father Trendy, was "an unctuous trying-to-be-cool Roman Catholic priest". Supposedly, Fr. Trendy was based on Father Brian D'Arcy.
Today's real life Father Trendy just waiting for a new Morgan to mimic is the PD's Fiona O'Malley. You just can't take her seriously. The PD's have something of an image as a "right wing" party and Fiona O'Malley is determined to ensure that she, at least, is not tarred with that brush. She manages to accomplish this by making the stupidest policy suggestions.
Her latest is that condoms should zero-rated for VAT (exempt from the 21% sales tax) because, "[c]ondoms are not luxury items. To retain the 21 per cent VAT rate is unfair and frankly unsafe". Right on!
Condoms are not a necessity. I know this may be unimaginable for O'Malley, but people can, if they want, live a chaste life. And, what about some other "luxuries" which are subjected to the punitive 21% VAT rate such as: detergent, dish washing liquid, toothpaste, phone lines, clothes, etc.? Not a word, but without those luxury items we'd have more serious health (and other) problems than we have thanks to the VAT on condoms.
And, politically, who is she appealing to? The under 25's who don't vote anyway? Trying to make the PD's hip for young voters is no less ridiculous than all those futile efforts at making Catholicism fun for the young.
{Tip to Wulfbeorn}
