The publication of ‘Parliamentary Democracy at Work: Essays on the New South Wales Legislative Council’ (Federation Press, 2024) marks two milestones in the New South Wales Legislative Council’s history. The first is the commemoration of the bicentenary of the Council in 2024. The second is the retirement of its long-serving Clerk, David Blunt.

As reported in The Parliamentarian (2024 Issue Four), the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 was passed by both Houses of the Australian Parliament on 29 November 2024 and has received international media coverage. The new Act is a world-first by introducing a legal minimum age of 16 to have an account on age-restricted social media platforms.

During the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) in New South Wales, Commonwealth Parliamentarians attended the 2024 CPA General Assembly on 7 November 2024.

The Prime Minister of Australia, Hon. Anthony Albanese, MP, spoke to delegates at 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference at Sydney Town Hall on 7 November 2024

The Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year 2024 Awards have been announced at the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in New South Wales.

The Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network, led by the CPwD Chairperson, Hon. Laura Kanushu, MP (Uganda), have highlighted the work of a local rehabilitation centre working with persons living with disabilities during the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in New South Wales.

The Deputy Speaker of Australia's House of Representatives shares the benefits of a parallel Committee chamber as it marks its 30th anniversary.

HM King Charles III, Patron of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, visited the Parliament of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia on 20 October 2024 to mark the bicentenary of the New South Wales Legislative Council.

One of the great activities of the CPA Small Branches network is the annual CPA Small Branches Workshop. This year, the CPA Small Branches Workshop on Legislative Leadership for Environmental Resilience in Small Jurisdictions, was held from 23 to 25 July 2024, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In September 2024, history was made at the Queensland Parliament. In collaboration with Deaf Connect and Queensland’s Department of Education, Australia’s first-ever Deaf Youth Parliament took centre stage, conducted entirely in Auslan (Australian Sign Language).

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.