Friday, September 01, 2006
Trouble in the Assembly
I am not sure what I can add to this story about a supposedly secret plot to oust Dafydd Elis-Thomas as Presiding Officer. It is worth recording however, that we all have to get re-elected first.
The supposed 'forcing out of Paul Silk as Clerk to the Assembly' is utter nonsense in my view. As I said to the Western Mail: "The Shadow Commission decided it was right to appoint a combined Chief Executive/Clerk after consultants experienced in change management recommended that would be the right course to follow. It is exactly the model in existence at the Scottish Parliament.
"I certainly don't think I or the other members of the Shadow Commission have been hoodwinked by Dafydd El into deciding to appoint a Chief Executive/Clerk. I have a very high regard for Paul Silk, and assumed he would be applying for the post.
"But the Assembly is bigger than any individual, and I'm sure there will be plenty of highly qualified people applying for the new job."
Things have moved on, as is evidenced by this very public exchange of e-mails between the Presiding Officer and his Deputy, copied to all members and already in the hands of the press:
Gydweithwyr/Colleagues,
I would like to place on record my warmest thanks to Paul for his unique contribution in developing the Assembly Parliamentary Service, which has prepared us so well for implementing the Government of Wales Act 2006. His combination of parliamentary skills and knowledge of procedure has served both the Assembly, and Wales, well in its formative years. I wish him well in his future plans.
Carwn ddatgan fy niolchgarwch cynhesaf i Paul am ei gyfraniad unigryw i ddatblygiad Gwasanaeth Seneddol y Cynulliad a’n paratodd cystal ar gyfer gweithredu Deddf Llywodraeth Cymru 2006. Bu ei gyfuniad o sgiliau seneddol a gallu gweithdrefnol yn allweddol i’r Cynulliad yn ei flynyddoedd ffurfiannol, ac i Gymru. Dymunaf y gorau iddo yn y dyfodol.
Dafydd Elis-Thomas AC/AM
Llywydd/Presiding Officer
To which John Marek replied:
Dear Dafydd,
I knew nothing about this until last Tuesday and am, frankly, appalled at the way Paul has been forced out by you. Even more important, the Assembly will need his services when primary legislation passes through the various procedures in the Assembly. Those are the extra duties we will have as an Assembly, there will be no other significant new responsibilities. The WAG will draft and translate Bills: the Assembly will need to manage the procedure once the Bills are presented to it. A chief executive appointment, probably from local government, will put us on a level with other county councils. I would like to think that you do not wish this to happen. We won't succeed in replacing Paul Silk with anyone who has his particular expertise and diligence exactly in the area where we are to have the new duties!
Worse, all this plotting has been done in August and the views of Assembly Members have not been sought. Paul does not wish to leave and your job is to make sure he doesn't!
John Marek AM
Deputy Presiding Officer
I will leave it to others to decide whether these very rash accusations and paranoia have any merit or not. John Marek has not been involved in the discussions on the structure of the new organisation, which has been delegated to the Shadow Commission. Our discussions have centred around roles and responsibilities, not individuals.
It is rich that John Marek is accusing us of secrecy when he has consistently resisted introducing a public agenda to each House Committee meeting. Even more so, when it is clear that under any criteria of freedom of access, staff matters need to be dealt with privately. For the record, I do not believe that this sort of behaviour does the Assembly any favours at all.
Paul Silk was an outstanding clerk and did a great deal to help prepare the Assembly for the extra powers it is taking on and to adjust to its responsibilities. I am sorry that he has decided not to apply for the new post of Chief Executive and Clerk, which is an entirely different job to the one he holds now. He has though taken the decision to go and he should be allowed to depart with dignity. His resignation should not be used as a weapon in this increasingly personal and unnecessary conflict.
The supposed 'forcing out of Paul Silk as Clerk to the Assembly' is utter nonsense in my view. As I said to the Western Mail: "The Shadow Commission decided it was right to appoint a combined Chief Executive/Clerk after consultants experienced in change management recommended that would be the right course to follow. It is exactly the model in existence at the Scottish Parliament.
"I certainly don't think I or the other members of the Shadow Commission have been hoodwinked by Dafydd El into deciding to appoint a Chief Executive/Clerk. I have a very high regard for Paul Silk, and assumed he would be applying for the post.
"But the Assembly is bigger than any individual, and I'm sure there will be plenty of highly qualified people applying for the new job."
Things have moved on, as is evidenced by this very public exchange of e-mails between the Presiding Officer and his Deputy, copied to all members and already in the hands of the press:
Gydweithwyr/Colleagues,
I would like to place on record my warmest thanks to Paul for his unique contribution in developing the Assembly Parliamentary Service, which has prepared us so well for implementing the Government of Wales Act 2006. His combination of parliamentary skills and knowledge of procedure has served both the Assembly, and Wales, well in its formative years. I wish him well in his future plans.
Carwn ddatgan fy niolchgarwch cynhesaf i Paul am ei gyfraniad unigryw i ddatblygiad Gwasanaeth Seneddol y Cynulliad a’n paratodd cystal ar gyfer gweithredu Deddf Llywodraeth Cymru 2006. Bu ei gyfuniad o sgiliau seneddol a gallu gweithdrefnol yn allweddol i’r Cynulliad yn ei flynyddoedd ffurfiannol, ac i Gymru. Dymunaf y gorau iddo yn y dyfodol.
Dafydd Elis-Thomas AC/AM
Llywydd/Presiding Officer
To which John Marek replied:
Dear Dafydd,
I knew nothing about this until last Tuesday and am, frankly, appalled at the way Paul has been forced out by you. Even more important, the Assembly will need his services when primary legislation passes through the various procedures in the Assembly. Those are the extra duties we will have as an Assembly, there will be no other significant new responsibilities. The WAG will draft and translate Bills: the Assembly will need to manage the procedure once the Bills are presented to it. A chief executive appointment, probably from local government, will put us on a level with other county councils. I would like to think that you do not wish this to happen. We won't succeed in replacing Paul Silk with anyone who has his particular expertise and diligence exactly in the area where we are to have the new duties!
Worse, all this plotting has been done in August and the views of Assembly Members have not been sought. Paul does not wish to leave and your job is to make sure he doesn't!
John Marek AM
Deputy Presiding Officer
I will leave it to others to decide whether these very rash accusations and paranoia have any merit or not. John Marek has not been involved in the discussions on the structure of the new organisation, which has been delegated to the Shadow Commission. Our discussions have centred around roles and responsibilities, not individuals.
It is rich that John Marek is accusing us of secrecy when he has consistently resisted introducing a public agenda to each House Committee meeting. Even more so, when it is clear that under any criteria of freedom of access, staff matters need to be dealt with privately. For the record, I do not believe that this sort of behaviour does the Assembly any favours at all.
Paul Silk was an outstanding clerk and did a great deal to help prepare the Assembly for the extra powers it is taking on and to adjust to its responsibilities. I am sorry that he has decided not to apply for the new post of Chief Executive and Clerk, which is an entirely different job to the one he holds now. He has though taken the decision to go and he should be allowed to depart with dignity. His resignation should not be used as a weapon in this increasingly personal and unnecessary conflict.
