English: I declare an interest as a county councillor. I won't be supporting this legislation. In Catalunya, they do politics by judiciary - the unionists, that is. And in Labour Wales, we have politics by tribunal. The abuses of the system are actually very similar in principle. I feel we have an ombudsman system lacking in integrity, lacking in accountability of the ombudsman himself, who uses gagging orders, refuses to disclose e-mails and operates with a basic lack of fairness and a lack of transparency. I want to give you an example of a confidential investigation by the ombudsman, and the person who was confidentially being investigated received a phone call and text messages from a serving Member of this Assembly after discussing the case with the ombudsman. Now, I know that's true because the person was me. I got the text messages; I had the call; I had the discussion and was warned not to take on the ombudsman. I was told I couldn't win, and I think that, with hindsight, in a factual sense, that was correct but morally completely wrong. When there was a tribunal - and I'm talking about the fairness of the system here - I was not allowed to present those text messages as evidence of a lack of transparency, a lack of fairness in the system. The local government ombudsman in Wales is used as a political weapon to stamp out the sense, to stop questions being asked, and it's a way of trying to exert control over politicians. I will oppose this legislation because this office of the ombudsman - and some people may not want to hear this, looking at the reactions around the room - this office of the ombudsman is used in a highly undemocratic way, and I will not support this legislation.
Welsh: Rwy'n datgan buddiant fel cynghorydd sir. Ni fyddaf yn cefnogi'r ddeddfwriaeth hon. Yng Nghatalwnia, maent yn gwleidydda drwy farnwriaeth - yr unoliaethwyr, hynny yw. Ac yn Llafur Cymru, rydym yn gwleidydda drwy dribiwnlys. Mewn gwirionedd, mae'r modd y camddefnyddir y system yn debyg iawn mewn egwyddor. Teimlaf fod gennym system ombwdsmon sy'n brin o uniondeb, yn brin o atebolrwydd ar ran yr ombwdsmon ei hun, sy'n gorchymyn pobl i gadw'n dawel, sy'n gwrthod datgelu negeseuon e-bost ac sy'n gweithredu gyda diffyg tegwch a diffyg tryloywder sylfaenol. Rwyf eisiau rhoi enghraifft o ymchwiliad cyfrinachol gan yr ombwdsmon i chi, ac fe gafodd y person a oedd yn cael ei archwilio'n gyfrinachol alwad ffôn a negeseuon testun gan Aelod sy'n gwasanaethu yn y Cynulliad hwn ar ôl trafod yr achos gyda'r ombwdsmon. Nawr, gwn fod hynny'n wir am mai fi oedd y person hwnnw. Cefais y negeseuon testun; cefais yr alwad ffon; cefais y drafodaeth ac fe'm rhybuddiwyd i beidio â herio'r ombwdsmon. Dywedwyd wrthyf na allwn ennill, ac rwy'n credu, wrth edrych yn ôl, mewn ystyr ffeithiol, fod hynny'n gywir, ond yn gwbl anghywir yn foesol. Pan gynhaliwyd tribiwnlys - ac rwy'n sôn am degwch y system yn y fan hon - ni chaniatawyd i mi gyflwyno'r negeseuon testun hynny fel tystiolaeth o ddiffyg tryloywder, diffyg tegwch yn y system. Defnyddir yr ombwdsmon llywodraeth leol yng Nghymru fel arf gwleidyddol i gael gwared ar y synnwyr, i atal pobl rhag gofyn cwestiynau, ac mae'n ffordd o geisio rheoli gwleidyddion. Byddaf yn gwrthwynebu'r ddeddfwriaeth hon oherwydd defnyddir swydd yr ombwdsmon - ac efallai na fydd rhai pobl eisiau clywed hyn, o edrych ar yr ymatebion o amgylch yr ystafell - defnyddir swydd yr ombwdsmon mewn ffordd hynod o annemocrataidd, ac ni fyddaf yn cefnogi'r ddeddfwriaeth hon.