In the Australian House of Representatives (the House), the use of unparliamentary language is governed by Standing Orders relating to Disorder. The Standing Orders outline the following instances of Disorder:

Two ‘Table of the House’ tables have been gifted to the Cook Islands Parliament by the Parliament of Western Australia.

A former Chief Justice of Australia writes about the separation of powers.

The Committee on Children and Young People at the Parliament of New South Wales has marked a historic milestone as the first-ever all-female Parliamentary Committee. The appointment of an all-female membership to an important oversight Committee is an example of pioneering women lawmakers progressing women's roles in the state Parliament.

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Commonwealth (Latimer House) Principles on the Three Branches of Government in this issue of The Parliamentarian. I do so from an Australian perspective on the separate but interacting functions of the Parliament and the Judiciary in making laws and interpreting them.

The Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament, Hon. Tutai Tura visited the Parliament of Western Australia in September 2023. The Cook Islands Speaker was welcomed by the President of the Western Australia Legislative Council, Hon. Alanna Clohesy, MLC and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Hon. Michelle Roberts, MLA then met with Parliamentary Clerks and staff, toured Parliament House and observed question time in both Chambers.

Commonwealth Parliamentarians from the National Parliament of the Solomon Islands and the Bougainville House of Representatives visited their counterparts at the Parliament of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia in October 2023 as part of an ongoing twinning programme between the Legislatures.

Commonwealth Parliamentarians from across two CPA Regions have come together to discuss the importance of youth engagement in Parliaments at the 40th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Australia and Pacific Regional Conference in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 1 to 3 November 2023.

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.