27/08/2024
Women in Australia make up just over half of the Australian population and 47.9% of all employed persons yet leadership, decision-making and priority setting has largely been in the hands of men. Any democratic framework needs to take into consideration gendered perspectives and equal representation of both women and men.
29/07/2024
Though the Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is both a small Parliament and a Small Branch of the CPA, there is no such thing as being too small to have big expectations for how Parliamentarians will behave and conduct themselves.
21/07/2024
Engaging people in Parliament: The experiences of a young Member of Parliament from South Australia.
We have all heard the expression, “you cannot be what you cannot see.” I think to an extent this rings true to younger voters. Voters may feel like they cannot see themselves, or their demographic, represented in their Parliamentarians. This may at times leave some feeling disenfranchised with our political systems and the decisions that ultimately affect them.
25/03/2024
If Parliaments don’t engage with young people, that’s over a third of the population that aren’t part of the conversation. Having young people as part of the conversation can only positively extend into their adult lives as these foundational experiences carry them through. In this article, I will share what we’ve learnt from young people, and what young people have told us through our youth engagement work at the Parliament of Victoria.
14/03/2024
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Headquarters held a special meeting of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers held at Speaker’s House at the UK Parliament, following the Commonwealth Speakers Summit 2024 for Commonwealth Day and the 75th anniversary of the Commonwealth.
10/03/2024
If Parliaments don’t engage with young people, that’s over a third of the population that aren’t part of the conversation. Having young people as part of the conversation can only positively extend into their adult lives as these foundational experiences carry them through. In this article, I will share what we’ve learnt from young people, and what young people have told us through our youth engagement work at the Parliament of Victoria.
23/02/2024
A delegation from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Headquarters met with the Parliament of Kiribati (Maneaba ni Maungatabu) this week as part of a CPA Benchmarks self-assessment.
06/01/2024
Speakers and Presiding Officers from across the Commonwealth have met in Kampala, Uganda for the 27th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) which took place from 3 to 6 January 2024.
03/01/2024
Happy New Year from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Secretariat. 2023 was a very busy year for the CPA, culminating in December with our online conference on the Fourth Industrial Revolution. And I am delighted that this month, January 2024, we're launching our new Parliamentary Handbook on Artificial Intelligence, as part of our work on technology and innovation. This will be a busy and important year for the Commonwealth and indeed for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
28/10/2023
The IPU Assembly focused on the theme of ‘Parliamentary action for peace, justice and strong institutions’ (SDG 16) with Speakers and Members of Parliaments discussing the role of Legislatures in promoting a resilient and peaceful world. The President of the National Assembly of Angola, Hon. Carolina Cerqueira welcomed delegates to Luanda.
05/10/2023
CPC Workshop F: 20 Years of the Latimer House Principles on the Separation of Powers: Is it Working?
This workshop session focused on the significance of the Commonwealth Latimer House Principles and examined strategies to strengthen the relationship among the three branches of government. It also highlighted best practices for embedding these Principles in Commonwealth Parliaments. For democracy to thrive, the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary must operate within their constitutional mandates. The Legislature makes laws, the Executive implements and the Judiciary, which is the final arbiter of a state, exercises the powers of adjudication and interpretation.
05/10/2023
The Youth Roundtable Session explored the opportunities and challenges that the Commonwealth faces in respect to international security and peacebuilding. It featured delegates from CPA Branches and representatives from a cross-section of Ghanaian youth, including Youth Parliaments, students and student leaders.