New and returning Members of the Parliaments of Fiji, Tonga and Tuvalu will participate in a Post-Election Seminar delivered by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
This will be the first ‘in-person’ seminar provided by the CPA Headquarters in the Pacific Region for almost five years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Held from 21 to 23 March 2023 in Nuku’alofa in Tonga, Parliamentarians from three Legislatures will learn from parliamentary colleagues and experts from across the Commonwealth in a range of sessions designed to examine the core elements of democratic governance and to share best practice.
Members will examine a wide range of diverse topics including the separation of powers, climate change legislation, and the role of Select Committees and increasing women’s representation in Parliaments.
Many of the Parliaments in the CPA Pacific Region are part of the CPA Small Branches network- jurisdictions that have a population of up to one million people – and so share many unique challenges in their parliamentary practice.
The CPA Small Branches Chairperson, Joy Burch, MLA, Speaker of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly will be sharing her expertise at the seminar in Tonga as well as MPs and Parliamentary Clerks from New Zealand, Tonga, Niue and other regional experts.
The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga, Lord Fakafanua, will formally open the CPA Post-Election Seminar and he will be joined by the CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg, who will also provide expertise on the CPA, the Commonwealth and parliamentary practice during the seminar.
General Elections were held in Tonga on 18 November 2021 with elections for the 26 seats in the Legislative Assembly; in Fiji on 14 December 2022 to elect the 55 Members of Parliament; and in Tuvalu on 9 September 2019 for the 16 seats in its Parliament.
During his visit to Tonga, the CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg, will also meet with parliamentary officials and visit two local schools to speak to students about the work of the CPA and the Commonwealth.
The CPA promotes knowledge of the constitutional, legislative, economic, social and cultural aspects of parliamentary democracy and connects around 180 Parliaments across the Commonwealth.
