EDITOR’S NOTE
Parliamentarians are key to enhancing accountability in health service delivery and provides examples of the work that his organisation has done in several countries. The City of London’s Remembrancer, Paul Double, LVO, OStJ, writes about his ancient role and the many links between the City of London and the Commonwealth. New technology in the UK Parliament has brought automated speech software trials to the Hansard Team and this is described by Jack Homer, Deputy Editor of the Official Report in the UK’s House of Commons. In the third of his three-part series for The Parliamentarian, Parliamentary Consultant at the Lok Sabha Secretariat at the Parliament of India, Mr Ravindra Garimella, looks at the origins and history of some of the parliamentary expressions and practices used in Commonwealth Legislatures and in this issue focuses on the role of ‘filibustering’. This issue of The Parliamentarian features several articles on the issues surrounding greater equality in Parliaments. Hon. Mboni Mohamed Mhita, MP, Member of the National Assembly of Tanzania shares her presentation to the CWP Africa Region Gender Sensitization Workshop in October 2019 on the barriers to women’s participation in elections in the Africa Region. Amanda Ellis is the Executive Director of Global Partnerships for the ASU Global Futures Laboratory and Professor of Practice at Thunderbird School of Global Management in the USA and she shares her article on ‘Building Forward Better’ - why women’s leadership matters during COVID-19 and beyond. An article by the Global Parliamentary Unit at the World Bank examines how stronger youth and female political representation can transfer knowledge and best practices to those who aspire to become more democratically representative. This issue also features news and reports of Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) activities including the CWP Chairperson speaking at a special session on ‘Women Leading Politics and Development’ at the Virtual Global Parliamentary Forum during the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF; a virtual meeting of the CWP Steering Committee to focus on strategic plan and future activities; and the launch of two new CWP guidelines on Gender Sensitising Parliaments and Anti-Harassment Policies for Commonwealth Parliaments CPA news reports in this issue include: International Day of Democracy; the launch of new CPwD Disabilities Communications Guidelines; virtual Post-Election Seminars in Dominica and Jamaica; a virtual meeting of the CPA Small Branches Steering Committee; a CPA webinar with Commonwealth High Commissioners and representatives of Overseas Territories in London; a CPA webinar
A familiar sign for 2020 outside a hotel in New Zealand.
event with Commonwealth partner organisations to introduce the new CPA Secretary-General and launch the CPA Strategic Plan consultations; a Commonwealth Speakers webinar on COVID-19 responses and Model Law in Parliaments; CPA Small Branches publishing a new Handbook on Lay Members for Commonwealth Parliaments; and the Commonwealth Gladwyn Lecture for 2020. This issue of The Parliamentarian also marks two anniversaries: the 400th anniversary of the first sitting of the Parliament of Bermuda and the 70th anniversary of the re-opening of the UK Parliament’s House of Commons after its destruction during the Second World War. The Parliamentary Report and Third Reading section in this issue includes parliamentary and legislative news from Canada Federal; British Columbia; Trinidad and Tobago; India; New Zealand; the United Kingdom; Sri Lanka; and Australia Federal. The CPA Headquarters Secretariat would also like to thank Mr Stephen Boyd, Secretary for the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics at the Parliament of Australia, for his dedication and commitment as the parliamentary correspondent for the Parliament of Australia for The Parliamentarian for many years and for his parliamentary service to the Australian Federal Parliament on his retirement. His parliamentary reports and articles about the Parliament of Australia over many years have provided a record of events for future generations and a source of interest for other Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures who want to share their experiences of parliamentary democracy. We look forward to hearing your feedback and comments on this issue of The Parliamentarian, on the issues affecting Parliamentarians across the Commonwealth and to receiving your future contributions to this publication. Jeffrey Hyland Editor, The Parliamentarian editor@cpahq.org
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