Wednesday, July 01, 2009
The missing Deputy First Minister
He has been criticised for avoiding scrutiny, for not answering correspondence and a whole host of other matters but today the Deputy First Minister topped the lot by failing to show for a debate on the Welsh Assembly Government's Response to the Current International Economic Downturn.
Ieuan Wyn Jones is of course the Minister for Economy and Transport so one would reasonably expect him to be present. Instead he was speaking at a conference on 'Small countries and the global crisis: challenges and opportunities?'
The Assembly debate finished at 4pm, the time he was scheduled to speak and yet the time of his speech had already been brought forward from 4.15pm. Could it not have been put back to 4.30pm? That would have been ample time to get from the Senedd to the Cardiff Hilton.
Important as this conference may have been his duty was to be in the chamber defending his brief, something that the Plaid Cymru Leader seems more and more reluctant to do. Betsan Powys makes all the important points:
What's significant here? That Mr Jones is gaining a reputation amongst an increasing number of AMs for not responding quickly enough to their queries, not taking them and their job of scrutinising what he does seriously enough; that it's hard to avoid the feeling he's being targetted by those who suggest that being DFM and holding such a crucial portfolio must be very hard work indeed. You know what they mean - perhaps a bit too hard these days.
Mr Jones may argue, as a good country solicitor might, that the facts suggest otherwise. He's answered questions on the government's handling of the economy many times before .The ProAct and ReAct schemes - yes, those again - have generally gone down well. His department is working overtime to respond to what is a global crisis.
But perceptions and reputations are equally important and a good country solicitor ought to know that too.
Is the Deputy First Minister up to the job he has taken on?
Ieuan Wyn Jones is of course the Minister for Economy and Transport so one would reasonably expect him to be present. Instead he was speaking at a conference on 'Small countries and the global crisis: challenges and opportunities?'
The Assembly debate finished at 4pm, the time he was scheduled to speak and yet the time of his speech had already been brought forward from 4.15pm. Could it not have been put back to 4.30pm? That would have been ample time to get from the Senedd to the Cardiff Hilton.
Important as this conference may have been his duty was to be in the chamber defending his brief, something that the Plaid Cymru Leader seems more and more reluctant to do. Betsan Powys makes all the important points:
What's significant here? That Mr Jones is gaining a reputation amongst an increasing number of AMs for not responding quickly enough to their queries, not taking them and their job of scrutinising what he does seriously enough; that it's hard to avoid the feeling he's being targetted by those who suggest that being DFM and holding such a crucial portfolio must be very hard work indeed. You know what they mean - perhaps a bit too hard these days.
Mr Jones may argue, as a good country solicitor might, that the facts suggest otherwise. He's answered questions on the government's handling of the economy many times before .The ProAct and ReAct schemes - yes, those again - have generally gone down well. His department is working overtime to respond to what is a global crisis.
But perceptions and reputations are equally important and a good country solicitor ought to know that too.
Is the Deputy First Minister up to the job he has taken on?
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Random late thought, but if the debate finished at 4 he could have got there by 425... on the bus, let alone in a comfy ministerial car!
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