It was refreshingly candid - then I remembered we're reading a government blog where they can say that kind of thing with impunity.
Not sure if you know this, but it might be of interest: in the UK speech, within the House of Commons (maybe the Lords too? I'm unsure) is specifically protected from defamation actions. An MP could stand up and say "Mr Smith murders kittens in his spare time" and Mr Smith would have no ability to sue. However, this does not apply to MPs outside of parliament.