A rarely passed Private Member’s Bill - The Restoring Territory Rights Bill – was introduced in the Australian Federal Parliament in 2022 which aims to restore the rights of self-determination to the people and Parliaments of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory (NT). The two Federal Members of Parliament who co-sponsored the Bill explain its impact.

The Vice-Patron of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo, the President of Ghana, has urged Commonwealth Parliamentarians to work together to uphold democratic principles and the values of the Commonwealth as he opened the 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (66th CPC) for over 500 delegates in Accra, Ghana.

As Australia prepares to hold a referendum on establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament, the President of the Australian Senate examines how the 10th anniversary the Commonwealth Charter provides an opportunity to reflect on its progress and to ask if it meets the diverse needs of the Commonwealth’s citizens

Parliamentarians from the Pacific and Australia Regions have focused on building strong and resilient Parliaments at the 52nd Presiding Officers and Clerks Conference (POCC), hosted by the National Parliament of Solomon Islands in Honiara from 2 to 6 July 2023. More than 50 Presiding Officers, Speakers and Clerks from 18 Parliaments in the Pacific and Australia Regions attended the conference including Australia Federal, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Vanuatu, Bougainville, Tuvalu, Tonga, Kiribati, Solomon Islands and the Australian State Parliaments.

The Acting Speaker of the Queensland Parliament, Mr Joe Kelly, MP, welcomed a delegation of Parliamentarians from Vanuatu led by the 2nd Deputy Speaker,  Jack Kalmet, MP on 8 June 2023.

New Members, Budget Debate and Dictionary Launch at Parliament of Australia, as well as Parliamentary Reports from the CPA Australia Region and the Third Reading Report.

The Queensland Parliament hosted its 6th Regional Sitting of Parliament in Cairns, in the far north of the Australian State from 9 to 11 May 2023. Regional Sittings of Parliament are hosted away from Brisbane, the state capital, giving people from other parts of the State the chance to experience democracy in action. A full parliamentary sitting week was held in Cairns, alongside other events including school visits, Youth Parliaments, a free community breakfast and sports sessions.

The 35th anniversary of the opening of Australia’s Parliament House occurred on Tuesday 9 May 2023. That date is significant because it is also the date of the very first sitting of Australia’s Parliament, at the Exhibition Building in Melbourne (9 May 1901), and that of the opening of the provisional (‘Old’) Parliament House (9 May 1927).

The President of the Australian Senate writes about the importance of Parliament in the reconciliation process.

To mark Commonwealth Day 2023, the Parliament of New South Wales welcomed the Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, and members of the Commonwealth Day Council to Parliament House, where Her Excellency delivered His Majesty King Charles III's official Commonwealth Day message.