WEEK BEGINNING 11TH
SEPTEMBER 2006
Difficult morning! On
Saturday I went out and bought a new microwave – humphed it into the
car and then into the house on my own. It felt fine at the time; then
Sunday I did the Calderglen Park protest march with a bit of a stiff
back. Still didn’t think about it; but, boy-oh-boy, did I think about
it when I tried to get out of bed on Monday morning – serves me right
for being so daft. Managed to do some work at the computer during the
day, but had to cancel my Community Council meeting and my Fair Trade
Group meeting in the evening. Suffered all week, and still some! It
really has made me sympathetic to anyone who suffers a bad back
generally, for whatever reason; I just never realised how debilitating
this can be, and also how little sympathy the complaint of a ‘bad
back’ invokes – I will certainly be more understanding from now on.
Every cloud … … … … …
Drove through to
Edinburgh Tuesday morning, with a few stops en-route to walk round the
car and straighten up. First up Standards Committee – confidential I’m
afraid – Standards Commissioner reports about MSP colleagues where
complaints had been received by members of the public. The system is
that where the Commissioner has found there is no case to answer, then
it is kept confidential, but where the Commissioner has decided there
has been a breach then the Committee has to act. One such case today,
decision to be taken and reported upon next week in public.
I met a really
interesting delegation of Czech Republic educationalists over
lunchtime, from the Liberec Region. Our visitors were on a return
visit to form partnerships and exchanges with the colleges here, and
had come to learn about the way the Parliament functions. I was able
to tell them that I’d visited part of their parliament during recess
when we visited Prague.
Europe Committee in the
afternoon and further evidence on the Energy Inquiry: We were
expecting a Government Minister to come along and answer questions on
issues raised through our Inquiry, but they backed out and sent along
two officials. Committee members were not pleased – officials are
limited in what they are able to discuss, and really this was just not
good enough. The Minister will be in no doubt of the Committee’s
disquiet, but will it make a difference? We’ll see. Talking of
treating folk with respect, how about this extract from the Official
Report!-
Convener: … …I
am suffering from a bad back, so if I assume strange shapes during the
meeting please do not worry too much about me; I am perfectly fine in
the head.
John Home
Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab):
We will be the judge of that.
Never mind – I’ll get
him back!
Good fun for Morag and
I on Tuesday evening when the East Kilbride Kittoch Rotary Club
visited us at the Parliament – grand tour and socialising. Really
enjoyed it.
I was supposed to be
addressing a Business Group in Grangemouth late Wednesday morning, and
much as I was looking forward to meeting them and outlining the SNP
policies on business rates, I was dreading the drive and coping with
my sore back (I really am milking this - I know, I’m truly pathetic,
but I’m not used to being unwell!), so was actually relieved when it
was cancelled by the organisers. I don’t know why it was cancelled,
but the same thing happened last night for a meeting I was addressing
in Stirling, so I’m beginning to worry that I’m the common denominator
here.
So, a normal Wednesday
– general work, meeting with the Committee Clerks, Group Meeting and
Chamber in the afternoon. I wasn’t involved in the Chamber debate –
Stage 1 of the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Bill which was passed
by a sizeable majority. An interview with SAGA Radio in the afternoon
about the plight of elderly carers in South Lanarkshire who are
looking after adult children with learning difficulties – yes, no
resolution to this yet, and Madge and Jeanette are still fighting to
raise awareness of the issue, whilst South Lanarkshire Council are
still avoiding it. The Council have now spent thousands of pounds on
an official study which concludes that everything the Murray Owen
Group has been saying for years is correct. And now they’re going to
set up consultation and working groups to talk to elderly carers!
Aaagghhh!!!!! I don’t know what more I can say without becoming
offensive you know, so I’ll just stop there.
Early night – flat on
my back so I can get through Thursday.
I did manage to get in
at some point on Thursday morning, but missed our own SNP debates on
Health and on Education – black mark from the Whip. That’s not fair of
me actually; Alasdair was really understanding.
A forum on the new
disability discrimination legislation coming in December – relates to
workplaces for both employees and for those visiting to obtain a
service, so I have to make sure our Motherwell office is compliant. It
sounds complicated, but when it’s broken down it’s actually no more
than fair. Problem is that when one is able-bodied, one just doesn’t
think about how difficult things can be for someone who has a problem.
I think the parliament is going to look at the provision of
‘disability audits’ for our constituency offices, so that will be
worthwhile.
A meeting with Amnesty
International in the afternoon – they’re concerned at Scotland’s
relationship with China and the lack of mention of human rights’
violations in the Government’s China strategy. I can understand their
concern and protest surely can be, and should be, made by our
representatives and it can be done in ways that don’t necessarily mean
falling out with the Chinese Government or damaging potential links.
If we don’t make our views known then we are in danger of becoming
complicit in human rights abuses.
Related to this whole
issue, there was an interesting event on Wednesday evening which I was
unfortunately unable to attend – a presentation by the Uighur refugee
population of the UK. Their homeland region, Xinjiang, is close to
Tibet – I only heard about the Uighur people recently and I think
that’s the same for most folk. I’m told the presentation of their
memories, culture and music was fascinating, and their story of
oppression over the decades heart-rending. It seems that because they
are predominantly a Muslim people, whenever they try to argue for some
form of autonomy within their region the Chinese Government now find
it easy in the current world climate to label them as ‘terrorists’.
Well, what became even more interesting about this event was that the
Chinese Embassy in London and of course the Consul here in Scotland
went nuts when they heard this event was being held and tried to get
it stopped! Rightly, the Parliament refused to comply with their
demands. The day we allow our institution to kowtow to others and stop
freedom of speech and expression would be a sad day for us all.
Thursday evening
brought a delegation from Trondheim Council in Norway, hosted by Cllr.
Angus Macdonald of Falkirk Council – I am always fascinated when I
meet folk from Norway and hear of how they relish their independence
and have pride in how they have used their oil revenues to the good of
the nation. It’s not hard! It can be done!
An East Kilbride day on
Friday – lots of running around and meeting up with constituents to
discuss current issues in the town. Davie and I had a really
interesting discussion with two gentleman members of East Kilbride
Burns Club who are seriously concerned about the lack of Scottish
culture, both taught in schools and portrayed in the media. the media
in particular is an issue – whilst broadcasting is a reserved matter
it’s hard to influence the output of programmes. We don’t even have a
dedicated news programme, for goodness sake!
More culture on Friday
night and a Matt McGinn Tribute Concert at EK’s Village Theatre. A
great singalong with Alastair MacDonald and the Cameron Brothers.
McGinn was a true voice of Glasgow.
When David and I went
along to Coatbridge on Saturday night to meet the anti-trident peace
marchers who had walked from Faslane, during my speech I recalled how
Matt McGinn was in the forefront of the peace campaign in the 1960’s
when the Holy Loch was utilised as home for the US Navy. Decades down
the line, we are still arguing the illegality and immorality of
nuclear weapons, and yet despite major opposition by the people the
Labour Government in Westminster is intent on upgrading Trident to the
tune of £25b+. Faslane 365 has been formed to oppose this and from 1st
October there will be a year long protest at Faslane itself with a
wide range of local, national and international groups from all
sections of civil society, with each group committed to stay for 24
hours.
Sunday morning and back
to Coatbridge to take part in the ‘long walk for peace’. I didn’t walk
long though I’m afraid – I was put to shame by those who’d already
walked 50-plus miles; like Davie’s wee brother, Robert:
SNP Forum in the
afternoon for those of us who will be Parliament and Council
candidates in May next year. I can hardly believe that it’s almost
four years since the last election and that we’ll soon be going
through it all again. I guess time flies when you’re enjoying yourself
right enough?
A smashing event to
round off the week. Sunday evening and at a concert in the Old Kirk in
Strathaven – The African Children’s Choir; this choir were aged
between 7 years and 11 years old and mainly orphans from Uganda and
Kenya. I don’t have enough space or words to describe the work that is
done by this charity which has been running such choirs for over 20
years. So, website reference:
www.africanchildrenschoir.com.
Please log in and take a look. Meanwhile, look at this picture of
hope.
Linda Fabiani:
18th September 2006
Email Linda at
Linda.fabiani.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
