We did it. Now over to you.
It was the cartoonist Matt who recently envisaged two MPs chatting, one telling the other that he'd "gone into politics to improve my living room".
If anyone is thinking of going into Assembly politics in future because their living room is looking a bit drab, they'd better think again.
The independent panel looking at salaries and allowances has spoken and its spoken very bluntly.
Bottom line? If the panel's package of 108 recommendations is adopted, then Assembly members will be accepting that any opportunity they had to make money beyond their salaries will be gone. I use the word 'opportunity' because here's another bottom line for you: Assembly members never did milk the system to the extent some of their colleagues in Westminster did - a point the panel made over and again.
They weren't that oblique in making it either: "We would merely note that the actions of some Members of Parliament regarding their expenses claims have reflected badly on politicians in general, and inevitably Assembly Members have been tarred with the same brush in the eyes of the public".
Still, the door to those who fancied a bit of extra cash, "a trip on the gravy train" as one of the security staff here put it angrily the other day, was ajar. Now it's slammed shut.
Second home allowance as we know it? Gone.
Food allowance? Gone.
Link between MPs' salaries and AMs' salaries? Gone.
Does the panel think Wesminster ought to follow in these very footsteps? Absolutely. Does Roger Jones think Christopher Kelly. looking into expenses and allowances in Westminster, ought to follow in these very footsteps? "I can't see as how he can avoid it" came the response.
If you expected a whitewash, you were wrong. It's anything but. It had to be if there was any chance of the public believing it really means things are changing.
The Assembly Commission meets tomorrow night. If it votes to accept the panel's recommendations - and at a bet, it will - then what a message for Westminster. We did it - your turn now.
I'm Betsan Powys, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on .
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