Parliamentarians from Pakistan, Jersey, Guyana and New South Wales recognised at Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year 2024 Awards at 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in New South Wales
The Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year 2024 Awards have been announced at the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in New South Wales.
Hon. Khurram Ijaz Chattha, MPA, a Member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab in Pakistan has been announced as the recipient of the 2024 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Award in recognition of his parliamentary service and promoting good governance.
Hon. Gail Teixeira, MP from the Parliament of Guyana was awarded the 2024 Parliamentarian Life-time Achievement Award after 32 years of parliamentary service and Deputy Raluca Kovacs from the States Assembly in Jersey was awarded the 2024 New Parliamentarian Award in recognition of her contribution to promoting parliamentary democracy after only being elected two years ago.
Hon. Alex Greenwich, MP from the Parliament of New South Wales was awarded the 2024 Parliamentary Equality and Diversity Award in recognition of his commitment to LGBT+ Rights, reproductive rights and marriage equality in Australia.
The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg said:
“The Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards aligns with our strategic objective of promoting the Commonwealth values of parliamentary democracy and sustainable development to a wide audience. Through these annual awards, the CPA recognises and highlights the invaluable contributions that Parliamentarians are making to their local communities within the Commonwealth.”
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In the nomination for the 2024 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Award, it was noted that Hon. Khurram Ijaz Chattha, MPA has been a dedicated proponent of good governance, placing strong emphasis on the rule of law, transparency and accountability throughout his political career. His proactive approach in Assembly debates has contributed to the creation of laws that prioritize the public interest and his leadership in the development of public policies has also focused on improving governance systems that protect the rights of citizens and promote social equity.
His leadership goes beyond the walls of the Assembly, and he spearheaded several projects in his constituency, such as the establishment of a rescue service, the construction of a college for both boys and girls and a special educational needs school. Through these initiatives, he demonstrated his belief in community service and the importance of empowering future generations. He has also spearheaded several large-scale infrastructure projects that required close coordination with multiple government departments and private entities including a library, dialysis centre and trauma centre in his constituency of Muridke. His commitment to creating an inclusive environment was shown by that fact that these facilities catered to the needs of disabled individuals, women and the youth as well as the broader community.
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Hon. Gail Teixeira MP from the Parliament of Guyana was awarded the 2024 Parliamentarian Life-time Achievement Award in recognition of her 32 years of parliamentary service and her commitment and contributions to the Legislature. Over these years, she has been dedicated to her role and has sat on numerous Parliamentary Committees and held many Parliamentary and Ministerial roles, dealing with issues that range from constitutional reform to legislation addressing anti-money laundering and the countering of financing of terrorism. She began her political career at the age of 19 in Toronto, Canada, when she became an active participant in the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and the struggles for African liberation and the return of democracy in Chile, Nicaragua and her own native, Guyana.
In 1977, she joined the women’s rights movement and has remained a strong advocate for women’s rights and participation at all levels of society. Over the 44 years of her political career in Guyana, she has acquired wide experience in building alliances to build democracy. She has been a Presidential Adviser on Governance, has sat in several Cabinets and has worked with inter-parliamentary organisations across the world including the CPA.
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Deputy Raluca Kovacs from the States Assembly in Jersey was awarded the 2024 New Parliamentarian Award in recognition of her contribution to promoting parliamentary democracy. Elected only two years ago, she has advanced the principles of good governance through her work with multiple Committees and steering groups, and she led the review of the 2023 Annual Report and Accounts of the States of Jersey as a member of the Public Accounts Committee, holding the government to account.
She has shared her expertise on a number of international forums and platforms advocating for gender equality and promoting globally Jersey’s findings of the Review commissioned by the Government on Violence Against Women and Girls. She has actively engaged with community groups and schools to promote engagement and an awareness of democracy amongst young people as well as increasing financial support for parents with babies in neonatal care and developing a support scheme for free wound dressings and medical hosiery.
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Hon. Alex Greenwich, MP from the Parliament of New South Wales was awarded the 2024 Parliamentary Equality and Diversity Award in recognition of his commitment to LGBT+ Rights, reproductive rights and marriage equality in Australia. He is recognised for his role as a co-sponsor for the 2019 Reproductive Healthcare Reform Bill which decriminalised abortion in New South Wales and in 2021, he co-sponsored the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill which allowed eligible persons in New South Wales to access voluntary assisted dying services.
He was the co-chair of the successful YES campaign that delivered marriage equality in Australia in 2017 and has introduced the Equality Legislation Amendment (LGBTIQA+) Bill 2023 which is currently before the Legislative Assembly and will provide full equality for LGBT+ communities in New South Wales by amending 20 Parliamentary Acts.
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As part of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s mission to strengthen parliamentary democracy through the promotion of good governance and sharing best practice, the awards were launched in 2022 to recognise and highlight inspirational and active Parliamentarians for excelling in their field.
CPA Awards are open to nominees who are current Parliamentarians* across the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s unique membership includes almost 180 national, state, provincial and territorial Legislatures. The next awards will be open for nominees in 2025.
* Nominees should be sitting Members of Parliament in a Commonwealth Legislature or have been a sitting Member of Parliament in a Commonwealth Legislature in the award period. The award can be made posthumously. Please check the CPA website for full nomination criteria.
One of the largest gatherings of Commonwealth Parliamentarians, the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference brought together over 700 Parliamentarians, parliamentary staff and decision makers from across the Commonwealth for this unique conference and networking opportunity.
The 67th CPC was the first time that the CPA New South Wales Branch hosted the event and the first time that an Australian State or Territory hosted the CPA annual conference.
During the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, there were also a number of additional conferences and meetings including: 40th CPA Small Branches Conference; 8th Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Conference; meetings of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network; the CPA General Assembly and meetings of the CPA Executive Committee; and the 58th Society of Clerks at the Table (SOCATT) meetings.
During the conference, a number of elections also took place for the Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, the CPA Small Branches Chairperson and the CPA Vice-Chairperson.
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Further information about the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) can be found at the official conference website and also at the 67th CPC Hub.
On social media follow the hashtag #67CPC
Images of the 67th CPC are also available at the CPA's Flickr page.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) organises its annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) to address global political issues and developments in the parliamentary system through conference workshops and sessions for leading Parliamentarians representing Parliaments and Legislatures throughout the Commonwealth.
The CPA is an international community of almost 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.
