The CPA Small Branches network comprises of Commonwealth jurisdictions with populations up to 1,000,000 and operates within the framework of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. It is governed by an elected Chairperson and a Steering Committee of representatives from each of the CPA Regions within the CPA Small Branches network. Staff from the CPA Headquarters Secretariat support the network by coordinating activities alongside its members.

CPA Small Branches Steering Committee

The CPA Small Branches Steering Committee comprises of the CPA Small Branches Chairperson and nine Members who represent the nine Regions of the CPA that include Small Branches: Africa; Australia; Asia; British Islands and the Mediterranean; Canada; Caribbean, Americas and the Atlantic; India; Pacific; and South-East Asia.

The formation of the CPA Small Branches Steering Committee was approved and recommended by the CPA Executive Committee at its Mid-Year Meeting in Mauritius in 2018.

The current list of Regional Representatives on the CPA Small Branches Steering Committee are as follows:

• CPA Africa Region: Hon. Churchill Gill, MNA (Seychelles)
• CPA Asia Region: Hon. Ahmed Nazim, MP, Deputy Speaker of the People's Majlis (The Maldives)
• CPA Australia Region (interim): Hon. Michelle O'Byrne, MP, Speaker of the House of Assembly (Tasmania) 
• CPA British Islands and Mediterranean Region: Deputy Adrian Gabriel (Guernsey)
• CPA Canada Region: Hon. Derek Bennett, MHA, Speaker of the House of Assembly (Newfoundland and Labrador)
• CPA Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region: Hon. Lanein Blanchette, Speaker of the National Assembly (St Kitts and Nevis)
• CPA India Region: Shri Mingma Narbu Sherpa, MLA, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly (Sikkim)
• CPA Pacific Region: Hon. Lord Fakafanua, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly (Tonga)
• CPA South East Asia Region: YB Tuan Kerk Chee Yee, MLA, Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly (Melaka)

CPA Small Branches Chairperson

The position of CPA Small Branches Chairperson was approved at the 60th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon in 2014 and the first elected Chairperson began in 2016. The CPA Small Branches Chairperson is elected at the CPA Small Branches Conference for a term of three years. 

Hon. Valerie Woods, MNA, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belize

Chairperson of the CPA Small Branches network (2024-2027)

Biography

Hon. Valerie Woods was elected as CPA Small Branches Chairperson in November 2024 at the 40th CPA Small Branches Conference. As CPA Small Branches Chairperson, Valerie Woods also becomes a member of the CPA Executive Committee and the CPA Coordinating Committee. 

Valerie Woods is the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belize. She was first appointed to the National Assembly as a Senator from 2016 to 2019 and was then elected in December 2020 as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

As the Speaker, she has been a lead facilitator on the CPA’s Administrative Review of the Parliament and on the proposed draft changes to the Standing Orders. She is also pursuing her professional development studies in parliamentary service through the CPA Parliamentary Academy and Gender Studies through the Caribbean Institute in Gender and Development (University of the West Indies).

She has also served on the Steering Committee for the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) representing the Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region and as CWP Vice-Chairperson.

Previous CPA Small Branches Chairpersons:

• 2022-2024: Ms Joy Burch, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory
• 2019-2021: Hon. Niki Rattle, Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands 
• 2016-2019: Hon. Angelo Farrugia, MP, Speaker of the Parliament of Malta

CPA Africa Region

• Seychelles

CPA Asia Region

• Maldives

CPA Australia Region

• Australian Capital Territory
• Northern Territory
• Tasmania

CPA British Islands and Mediterranean Region

• Alderney
• Falkland Islands
• Gibraltar
• Guernsey
• Isle of Man
• Jersey
• Malta
• St Helena

CPA Canada Region

• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Northwest Territories
• Nunavut
• Prince Edward Island
• Yukon

CPA Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region

• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• The Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Bermuda
• British Virgin Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Montserrat
• Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Turks and Caicos Islands

CPA India Region

• Sikkim

CPA Pacific Region

• Bougainville
• Cook Islands
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Nauru
• Niue
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

CPA South-East Asia Region

• Melaka
• Perlis