News to share this week.....

“Your Parliament – Your Voice”

From the Office of the Speaker

News to share this week –

Election of 2012 office bearers in the Youth Assembly

The Youth Assembly was started at the Norfolk Island Central School in 1999 and has been growing steadily stronger over the years.  It has a website – www.youthassembly.nlk.nf.  The Youth Assembly came together in the Assembly Chamber on 2 April 2012 for its first formal meeting for the year, to elect its officer bearers and to discuss a range of issues that they would like to address in the next 12 months.  The Youth Assembly is mentored by our Clerk Mrs Gaye Evans JP, Mrs Trish Magri and Mr George Smith.

Mid Year Meeting of the CPA Executive Committee

 Chief Minister David Buffett this week has been attending the mid year meeting of the CPA Executive Committee in Tonga. Executive Committee Members are guests of the Host Branch which funds meals and accommodation; the return cost of travel from Norfolk Island to Tonga is met by CPA Headquarters Secretariat in London. The Australian Region of the CPA fields 3 regional representatives on the Executive Committee; the Commonwealth field’s one representative, the States and Territories together field two representatives on rotation. Mr Buffett is representing the Norfolk Island Branch as Regional Representative on this committee and we look forward to receiving his report on his return this Sunday.

Visit of Australian Region Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Steering Committee 13 to 16 April 2012

Seven Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians from different States and Territories of Australia were on the Island over the weekend for their annual planning meeting; they were joined by Mrs Rhonda Griffiths, Norfolk Island’s delegate on the Committee. The meeting was very successful with a number of key issues being identified including the following: 1. modification of images of the human form, such as airbrushing, in some countries the image is tagged when modified. 2. The testing of Chlamydia under Medicare. 3. Norfolk Island gender issues, reforms and reports to reflect gender equality. The CWP Steering committee will meet once again during the year and will have two teleconference link ups.

Our photo shows the Speaker, the Clerk and Mrs Griffiths MLA taking the opportunity to meet with Andres Lomp, Australian Regional Secretary of the CPA on the potential seen by Mr Lomp for Norfolk to be a bridge to the Pacific and to also be a venue for future joint Australian and Pacific CPA meetings.

May sitting of the Legislative Assembly

The next scheduled sitting of the Legislative Assembly is Wednesday 9 May 2012 at 10 am. The Speaker advised of her absence from the sitting

To read the Notice Paper, Programme, Minutes of Proceedings and legislation tabled in the House go to www.info.gov.nf. Issued from the Office of the Speaker on 20 April 2012 and posted on the blog site http://yourparliamentyourvoice.blogspot.com