Friday, April 1, 2011

Visit of Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital
and External Territories (the JSC)


I have received advice from the Chair of the JSC, Senator Louise Pratt that the committee is returning to Norfolk Island on 5 to 7 May 2011. The final programme for their visit will be published when received.


Meeting of the Legislative Assembly

The Legislative Assembly will next meet on Wednesday 6 April 2011 at 10 am. The matters to be called on at the sitting can be found elsewhere in the Norfolk Islander and in Norfolk Online. It is anticipated that the May sitting will be held on 4 May.


The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

In recent weeks we have focussed on our role in the Commonwealth of Nations, the community and school projects associated with the Commonwealth Day theme of Women As Agents Of Change and on Norfolk Island’s role as a member branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (the CPA). I have this morning receive a press release from the Secretary General of the CPA (we include his photo taken at Buckingham Palace) which I share with you here.


CPA Secretary-General in an Audience with The Queen

LONDON – CPA Secretary-General Dr William F. Shija in late March briefed Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on arrangements for the 57th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, to be held in July in London, and on the entry of the Parliament of Rwanda into the CPA. Briefing Her Majesty in Her capacity as Patron of the CPA, the Secretary-General met The Queen at Buckingham Palace to outline the programme for the conference. He noted it included a discussion of the 2011 Commonwealth Day theme of “Women as Agents of Change” in a conference workshop. That subject will also be discussed at the Conference of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians and in a session of the 31st Small Branches Conference, both of which will be held in London at the time of the plenary Conference.

The Secretary-General reported that Her Majesty congratulated the Association for giving this subject such a prominent place in the London meeting. The Secretary-General also informed The Queen that the Parliament of Rwanda joined the CPA at its 2010 General Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya. He advised Her that Rwanda’s Parliament sought to benefit from the Commonwealth’s parliamentary expertise as have the other two members of the Commonwealth, Cameroon and Mozambique, which had earlier joined the Commonwealth and the CPA despite not having a historic connection with either organization. The 57th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference and associated meetings are to be hosted by the United Kingdom Parliament and the CPA U.K. Branch in London from 22 to 28 July to mark the Centennial of the founding of the CPA. The 57th Conference will be opened by a member of the Royal Family representing The Queen who will be away from London at the time. The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association is composed of the Parliaments and Legislatures in 53 of the 54 Commonwealth nations and their overseas territories. It has a membership of more than 16,000 Members of national, state, provincial and territorial Assemblies. The Commonwealth country not currently in the CPA is Brunei, which does not have an elected Parliament.”


Issued from the Office of the Speaker on 2 April 2011

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