QMP advised against whole truth

THE Government was advised by QMP, the advertising agency in which the Minister for Finance's brother is a leading partner, to be "a bit liberal with the truth" in arguing that divorce would change nothing "other than allow a spouse to remarry".

It was warned that the arguments advanced by the leading anti divorce campaigner, Prof William Binchy, were "more potent and ultimately more decisive" than those of the Catholic Church.

In the memorandum setting out the campaign strategy for the divorce referendum, QMP told the Government, essentially, to ignore the 65 plus age group and the farming sector.

The memorandum, seen by The Irish Times, proposed how the £500,000 budget to fight the referendum should be spent by the Government to win a Yes majority in the referendum.

The document, together with the controversial letter from Mr Conor Quinn to the Tanaiste's adviser, Mr Fergus Finlay, were laid before the High Court in the current petition contesting the result of the referendum.

On the campaign mood and tone, QMP suggested that divorce remained a delicate and sensitive matter "and the style of creativity must reflect this sensitivity. We must convey a sense of confidence about the case that we project, but we must avoid any temptation to be arrogant. Like any election, the don't knows will be crucial, and we have to appeal to them with logic and compassion."

The company then proposed that the advertising campaign should fall into two phases: educational and responsive/persuasive. The advisers came to the conclusion to have an educational phase, they said, "through our own ignorance of the legal situation in regard to marriage breakdown. Looking into our own hearts, we realised that if we in the communications business did not know much, the general public were likely to know even less."

In its assessment of the anti divorce campaign, QMP advised it would fight the amendment on the psychological and social cost of divorce. The issues of poverty, impact on children and change in the traditional concepts of marriage and family in Irish life would, they suspected, form the basis of what would be an emotional but not unbalanced, argument.

"We can argue that divorce will change nothing, other than to allow a spouse to remarry, QMP stated in its memorandum. "This is being, perhaps, a bit liberal with the truth, but it allows us to take a more offensive (as against defensive) stance on the single most important aspect of the debate.

"We must eliminate some of the misconceptions that exist, but we should be very careful to avoid" issues" and a"regiments that we cannot win - poverty and the impact on children."

Turning to the anti divorce lobby, QMP advised that it had, as its adherents, a diverse group of people and organisations, including the Catholic Church. Foremost amongst these was Prof Binchy. In many respects, his voice was as powerful as the church's, but his arguments were more potent and ultimately more decisive, according to QMP.