Quote of the Week

Expenses probe will cost £129,000

A review, by auditors KPMG, followed revelations in July that officials flew first class and charged nearly £750,000 to corporate credit cards in a year.

Mr Bourne said he was "astonished" Mr Morgan was spending a "six figure sum" to "review spending in one of his own government departments".

This is typical of the assembly government - mounting an expensive investigation into why one of its own departments is spending so much.

You can't teach an old dog new tricks

Quote of the Week: Labour's All-women shortlist in the Vale of Glamorgan.

A female member of the Vale of Glamorgan Labour party wrote to the South Wales Echo saying:

“I know there is a silent majority of local Labour members who would oppose the imposition of a women-only shortlist for the selection of our candidate to replace John Smith. It is what I can only describe as bullying tactics from the National Executive which forced the local party to succumb to this policy.

“The polls indicate that the fight to return a Labour MP for the Vale of Glamorgan will be extremely difficult. Our chances of success would have been greater if we had the option of selecting a candidate from all our membership and not just from female members. Our candidate should be the best person, not just the best woman or best man.”

It seems you can't teach an old Labour dog new tricks.

Quote of the Week: Party differences

Ministers congratulate Welsh Athlete on Olympic Gold Medal

First Minister Rhodri Morgan and Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones have congratulated Nicole Cooke on her historic Gold Medal at the Beijing Olympics.

The First Minister said:

Nicole Cookes' Gold medal is a fantastic achievement. I am so pleased for her because she had been planning this for four years since her disappointment in the Athens Games in 2004 when she was outwitted in the final attack.

She has learnt her lesson and was able to time her efforts perfectly. This has brought her, Wales and Britain the honour of an Olympic Gold - the greatest prize in sport.

Nicole has already been a great example to women in Wales, encouraging them to take up physical exercise. From now on she will be forever be a role model as it has been for a very long time, if ever, since a Welsh woman has taken a Gold medal.

Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones said:

This is another incredible achievement for one of our great sporting champions.

Despite such dreadful weather conditions, Nicole's strength and sheer determination secured a victory in China that will be celebrated as a great moment in Welsh sporting history for many years to come.

Nicole is a great ambassador for her sport and for Wales and a role model for aspiring young athletes across our nation.

[August 11 2008]

Quote of the Week (21 April)

My quote of the week comes from an article by David Williamson in the Western Mail concerning Ministers’ car bill accelerating to £¼m.

ASSEMBLY Government ministers have been accused of enjoying a “limousine lifestyle” after new figures showed a four-fold increase in spending on official cars.

Figures obtained by Conservative Shadow Environment Minister Darren Millar show that in the last five years total expenditure on Assembly vehicles has risen by 352%.

In 2007-08, £240,016 was spent, up from £53,063 in 2003-04. In the last financial year £159,750 was spent on new cars. The ministerial fleet is made up of Volvo S80 2.4 diesel automatics.

The full article can be read here and if you scroll down to the bottom you can read:

The fleet consists of seven ministerial cars, plus two for use in emergencies. The basic models were purchased. They lack optional extras such as sunroofs.

Quote of the Week (April 7)

Alun Ffred Jones, responding to the announcement of a badger cull in Wales:

“This is not a simple matter, nor a black and white one.”