6. Motion to amend Standing Orders — Proxy voting

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:09 pm on 29 March 2023.

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Photo of Siân Gwenllian Siân Gwenllian Plaid Cymru 4:09, 29 March 2023

(Translated)

Thank you very much, and I'll respond to the comments on the pairing system, because this is what has taken the attention of the Business Committee as well. Pairing is an informal arrangement, of course, where Members can pair and both Members don't vote at all, so there is no record of their vote. Voting by proxy allows that Member to record a vote through having another person vote on their behalf, so it's more democratic, in my opinion. Pairing is a practice, but it doesn't happen all the time. It is a practice, I believe, in this Senedd that the Government and the opposition can make pairing arrangements, but, in the last Senedd, Plaid Cymru Members weren't paired. By now, we are. Because of the the co-operation agreement, there are pairing arrangements in place. But it doesn't follow that pairing happens on every occasion and, of course, when you have a sole Member, well that perhaps isn't going to be possible, although, of course, it is possible to request pairing arrangements under those circumstances as well. So, we're talking here about situations where Members are away for extended periods. Pairing is still a practice that can happen from week to week, but when a Member needs to be away for an extended period for the reasons that have been mentioned, proxy voting is a much more robust arrangement, it's more formal, and it's a recognition, isn't it, that we are a place that has modern working practices. We're not an employer, but surely we need to set an example of the way in which we wish to work and treat each other in this place.