WHAT a bizarre week it has been for politics in Wales.

We have pretty much had it all.

The prime minister has been in Newport, regaling us all with how he has personally cleared the way for the electrification of the Valleys rail lines and the construction of an M4 relief road.

There was 'hipgate' in the National Assembly.

And then, strangest and funniest of them all, a bunch of people you've probably never heard of suggested Assembly members should see their salaries increase by £10,000 a year.

I'll deal with the latter in a bit more detail.

But let's look at the first two incidents.

David Cameron's appearance at the Celtic Manor for the UK investment summit was no surprise (not that No 10 bothered telling the Argus but I guess our usefulness to the Downing Street mandarins probably only lasted as long as the Nato summit), and nor was anything he had to say during it.

Of course, the modernisation of the Valleys line is welcome and, as regular readers will know, I am a long-time and (after more than two decades) frustrated supporter of an M4 relief road.

Mr Cameron wants local people to believe it is he and his government, rather than those pesky so-and-sos at Cardiff Bay, who are responsible for these projects.

Why? Because he is utterly committed to the future prosperity of Wales. That must be the case because he said so.

Oh, and there's a general election in May.

'Hipgate' saw Assembly presiding officer Dame Rosemary Butler ticking off Liberal Democrat AM Eluned Parrot for standing with her hand on her hip while asking a question in the Senedd.

You've no doubt seen the video, and hilarious it is too, particularly as Ms Parrott responds to the Dame's chiding by removing said hand from said hip with the speed of a squaddie hiding a fag behind his back on the parade ground.

The whole non-event was a nonsense, of course. But most of the parties put out press releases in response to it and how Ms Parrott has made a formal complaint.

What a waste of money. More precisely, what a waste of your money.

Which brings us on nicely to the National Assembly's independent Remuneration Board. Its job is to recommend salary and pension packages for AMs and ministers.

If you've never heard of the board or its members, don't worry. You're in the majority.

It chairman, however, is relatively well known. Sandy Blair was once the chief executive of Newport council and also led the Welsh Local Government Association until he retired.

Mr Blair has been in public life for a long time. He understands the media and he understands public reaction.

So quite why he thought recommending a £10,000 a year pay rise for AMs was a good idea is beyond me.

The reaction to such a proposal was always going to be angry and incredulous.

AMs have been falling over themselves to denounce the recommendation and make clear they will not accept such a rise.

They haven't got a lot of choice really.

To accept the increase would be signing their own political death warrants. The payback from voters at the next Assembly elections would be brutal.

Funnily enough, I actually think AMs and MPs should be paid more. They should have bigger basic salaries but much reduced allowances and expenses.

And their pay should be performance-related.

Do a good job for your constituents, make a real difference, and get a pay rise.

Disappear from view between elections, and take a pay cut.

A dose of the real world might just concentrate a few minds in the Senedd and the Commons.