, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Making Saint David's Day a bank holiday
During that time, my father has lost the ability to speak entirely, but his words, and through them his voice, remain. He ended his speech by quoting the last words of our patron saint, 'Brothers and sisters, rejoice and keep your faith and your belief, and…
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Welsh Conservatives Debate: Making Saint David's Day a bank holiday
I'll finish with this now, Dirprwy Lywydd.
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Welsh Conservatives Debate: Making Saint David's Day a bank holiday
Instead of that, we're like Oliver Twist, aren't we, holding out our begging bowls, hoping for a few crumbs. Well, we should not have to rely on the charity of another Government to ensure that the day of our patron saint is a bank holiday. It was lovely to…
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Welsh Conservatives Debate: Making Saint David's Day a bank holiday
Funny you say that, Alun, as my next sentence will be, 'For Wales needs to be able to decide when we have our own bank holidays.' [Laughter.]
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Welsh Conservatives Debate: Making Saint David's Day a bank holiday
Of course.
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Welsh Conservatives Debate: Making Saint David's Day a bank holiday
If the United Kingdom is a union of equals, as the muscular unionists and the not-so-muscular unionists like to throw around, then there would be parity between the nations—an equal opportunity for us to celebrate, to dance, to sing and to rest on the day of…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Making Saint David's Day a bank holiday
—now, but they haven't been very successful so far, have they? And again in 2021, following a request by Gwynedd Council, the proposal to give Wales a bank holiday was rejected by the Westminster Government. Deja vu, groundhog day—call it what you like—but…
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Welsh Conservatives Debate: Making Saint David's Day a bank holiday
'Westminster has rejected the Assembly's request, but negotiations are still ongoing.' Well, I don't know if they're still ongoing—
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Welsh Conservatives Debate: Making Saint David's Day a bank holiday
I thank the Conservatives for bringing this debate before us, but I'd like to start today by taking you back on a history tour—not back to the age of David and the early saints, but far enough back to a time when Tom Giffard was wearing the short trousers of…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Thank you very much, Minister. It was a privilege to meet some of the strikers on the steps of the Senedd today and they praised my colleagues Sioned Williams and Mike Hedges for the support that they've shown them. A fair pension should be a fundamental…
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Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
2. What discussions has the Minister had to resolve the pension dispute in higher education institutions in Wales? OQ57697
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Questions to the Minister for Climate Change
Good question. [Laughter.]
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Questions to the First Minister
Diolch yn fawr, Brif Weinidog. The most recent Welsh Government prediction for the growth of the Cardiff population was 0.6 per cent per annum, however, the three options provided by Cardiff Council in the replacement local development plan are far higher…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
2. Will the First Minister provide an update on the Cardiff replacement local development plan? OQ57696
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Debate on petition P-05-949 Save Cowbridge Old Girls' School from Demolition
As an intervention there, on the point you make, Darren Millar, Samuel Kurtz and I met with the Baptist Union of Wales last week, and the issues that chapels are having with Cadw, of being unable to renovate the buildings at all and then the chapel closes and…
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Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Local Government elections
Is that a risk with your seat, Sam—in the North Wales region?
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Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Local Government elections
The fact that STV has been introduced into Scotland has nothing to do with the fact that the number of people who've voted has gone down. It's not connected at all.
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Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Local Government elections
I'll explain it now, if you want.
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Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Local Government elections
John Stuart Mill said, back in 1861, that the first principle of democracy is this: representation in proportion to the numbers. Today, let us, in this Senedd, not allow outdated ideas, not allow prejudices, not allow the ambition for power to block this very…
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Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Local Government elections
John Stuart Mill said—.
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Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Local Government elections
A good democracy reflects the choices of its voters, not just 40 per cent of them, but as many as possible. If we want to combat political apathy, we need to help people to maximise their votes and their voices.
, Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Local Government elections
In this place, we often hear about low voter turnout, and political apathy is all too apparent in Wales. Sam Rowlands often mentions low voter turnout for Senedd elections. But one way to address that is by ensuring that Welsh democracy reflects far better…
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Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Local Government elections
And this Senedd, as I'm pleased to see, has had co-operation at the heart of it from the beginning. There has never been a majority in this Senedd, with coalitions and co-operations being the rules of the game. And I'm glad, I'm glad to see that the Plaid…
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Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Local Government elections
And I look forward to hearing the contribution of my colleague Heledd Fychan, of her experiences in the Republic of Ireland. Why has no-one shifted back to the first-past-the-post system? Well, because that system isn't fit for a modern democracy. We must…
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Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Local Government elections
We are limiting people's freedom to choose by keeping this archaic first-past-the-post system, which is now almost 150 years old. There is not only a moral argument to introducing a proportional system, there are strong practical reasons also. In England and…
