The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Executive Committee have met for their Mid-Year Meeting in Gibraltar to discuss key governance issues and planning for the year ahead.

Speakers and Members of Parliament from across the Commonwealth joined both in-person and via video link to discuss matters including the CPA’s legal status, financial reporting and future activities, such as the 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Ghana.

The two-day meeting, hosted by the Gibraltar Parliament, took place from 18 to 19 April 2023. The CPA Executive Committee was due to have been held in Gibraltar in recent years, but the in-person meeting had been postponed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic and travel restrictions in place at the time.

The Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee Hon. Ian Liddell-Grainger MP (UK) said:

“The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association provides a unique platform for inter-parliamentary dialogue to take place amongst its membership of Parliaments and Legislatures. The CPA Executive Committee is pleased to be meeting in Gibraltar to further the CPA’s work in strengthening parliamentary democracy across the Commonwealth supported by the CPA Headquarters Secretariat team.”

The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg also attended the meetings and updated Members on recent activities.

The Speaker of the Gibraltar Parliament and CPA Gibraltar Branch President, Hon. Melvyn Farrell, JP, MP, and the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Hon. Fabian Picardo, KC, both welcomed parliamentary colleagues.

The Speaker said:

“I am delighted to welcome Parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth to Gibraltar for the CPA Executive Committee meetings. The CPA Gibraltar Branch is active in the wider CPA networks and is committed to engaging with the Commonwealth. The CPA is a forum through which we are able to share our innovations, experiences and best practices in our Parliament and where we can learn from other Legislatures on delivering parliamentary democracy and good governance for our citizens.”

The CPA Gibraltar Branch was established in 1951 and is a member of the CPA British Islands and Mediterranean Region as well as the CPA Small Branches network.

The CPA Gibraltar Branch has hosted the CPA Executive Committee previously in 1969, 1987 and 2000 and most recently hosted the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) British Islands and Mediterranean Regional Conference in October 2022 (click here to read news story).

The CPA Executive Committee comprises 38 Members representing the nine regions of the CPA - Africa; Asia; Australia; British Islands and Mediterranean; Canada; Caribbean, Americas and the Atlantic; India; Pacific; South-East Asia as well as the Officers of the Association (CPA President, CPA Vice-President, Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, CPA Vice-Chairperson, CPA Treasurer and the Chairpersons of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP), the CPA Small Branches and the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD)).

The Members and alternates attending the CPA Executive Committee meeting were: 

• CPA President: Rt Hon. Alban Bagbin, MP, Speaker of the Ghana Parliament
• CPA Vice-President: Hon. Matthew Mason-Cox, MLC, President of the New South Wales Legislative Council
• CPA Chairperson: Hon. Ian Liddell-Grainger, MP (UK)
• CPA Vice-Chairperson: Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, MP (Ghana)
• CPA Treasurer: Hon. Anurag Sharma, MP (Lok Sabha, India) - virtual
• CWP Vice-Chairperson: Hon. Valerie Woods, Speaker of Belize National Assembly - virtual
• CPA Small Branches Chairperson: Ms Joy Burch, MLA, Speaker of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
• CPwD Chairperson: Hon. Laura Kanushu, MP (Uganda)

CPA AFRICA REGION:

• Hon. Benson Makali Mulu, MP (Kenya)
• Hon. Raymond Chatima Nkhata, MP (Malawi)

CPA ASIA REGION:

• Hon. Dr Lal Chand Ukrani, MPA (Sindh)
• Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, MP, Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka
• Hon. Kazi Nabil Ahmed, MP (Bangladesh)

CPA AUSTRALIA REGION:

• Hon. Curtis Pitt, MP, Speaker of the Queensland Parliament (alternate for Victoria)
• Senator Hon. Sue Lines, President of the Australian Senate
• Hon. Mark Shelton, MHA, Speaker of the Tasmania House of Assembly

CPA BRITISH ISLANDS AND MEDITERRANEAN REGION:

• Hon. Leona Roberts, MLA (Falkland Islands)
• Hon. Chris Elmore, MP (UK)
• Hon. Stuart McMillan, MSP (Scotland)

CPA CANADA REGION:

• Hon. Randy Weekes, MLA, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
• Hon. Terry Duguid, MP (Canada Federal) - virtual
• Hon. Raj Chouhan, MLA, Speaker of the British Colombia Legislative Assembly (alternate for Ontario)

CPA CARIBBEAN, AMERICAS AND THE ATLANTIC REGION:

• Hon. Arthur Holder, MP, Speaker of the Parliament of Barbados
• Hon. Claudius J. Francis, MHA, Speaker of the Saint Lucia Parliament
• Hon. Gordon Burton, MHA, Speaker of the Turks & Caicos House of Assembly - virtual

CPA INDIA REGION:

• Hon. Biswajit Daimary, MLA, Speaker of the Assam Assembly
• Hon. Uday Pratap Singh, MP, (India Union)
• Hon. Ritu Khanduri Bhushan, MLA, Speaker of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly

CPA PACIFIC REGION:

• Hon. Lenora Qereqeretabua, MP, Deputy Speaker of the Fiji Parliament (alternate Member)
• Hon. Gerry Brownlee, MP (New Zealand) 

CPA SOUTH-EAST ASIA REGION:

• Hon. Lim Biow Chuan, MP (Singapore)
• Hon. Dr Noraini Ahmad, MP (Malaysia)
• Hon. Law Choo Kiang, MP, Speaker of the Penang Legislative Assembly

-ENDS-

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association connects, develops, promotes and supports Parliamentarians and their staff to identify benchmarks of good governance and the implementation of the enduring values of the Commonwealth. The CPA is an international community of around 180 Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to the highest standards of democratic governance.

For media enquiries, please contact communications@cpahq.org.