COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION NEWS CPA Trinidad and Tobago Branch and CPA Ontario Branch sign historic twinning agreement The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Trinidad and Tobago Branch and Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago have signed a historic twinning agreement with the CPA Ontario Branch and Legislative Assembly of Ontario in Canada. The twinning agreement will promote collaboration, cooperation and understanding for the mutual benefit of both Parliaments. Under the terms of this Agreement, the two Commonwealth Parliaments will actively work towards further developing relations through:
The Agreement was signed by the Presiding Officers of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago and Joint Presidents of the CPA Trinidad and Tobago Branch - the President of the Senate, Senator Hon. Christine Kangaloo and the Speaker of the House, Hon. Bridgid Annisette-George, MP - and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada and CPA Ontario Branch President, Hon. Ted Arnott, MPP (Member of the Provincial Parliament), at the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago on 20th May 2019. Speaker Arnott noted that the initiative will be centred on the principles of "co-operation, collaboration and understanding" and that the relationship could be tailored, flexible and practical, given that both jurisdictions are unique. He continued that twinning agreements are ideal vehicles for capacity-building, skills training and the strengthening of parliamentary practice and democracy. He said that MPs face a steep learning curve and a demanding schedule, but often lack formal training for the job concluding "twinning agreements can provide forums to develop capabilities." Speaker Annisette-George enumerated past linkages between Trinidad and Tobago and Ontario such as the many Trinidadians going to Canada to serve as teachers in the educational system; the twinning of the cities of St Catherine's and Port-of-Spain; and of the partnerships between Brock University and the University of the West Indies. The Speaker of Trinidad and Tobago pointed out that the two Parliaments recognise they are partners, not clones, and had differences to be respected and tolerated. She saw the relationship as a sharing of experiences, skills and expertise to benefit and advance each other. She added that a marriage often involves two imperfect people who refuse to give up on each other and said "I commit that the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago refuses to give up on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario."
204 | The Parliamentarian | 2019: Issue Three | 100th year of publishing
Images: Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago.
• Exchange of information regarding the work of the two Parliaments and on matters of common interest • Training activities between the Parliaments that promote parliamentary development • Pursuing research collaborations between Parliaments, allowing for the exchange of new ideas and perspectives to develop and enhance knowledge • Sharing best practices in the areas of quality assurance and management services • Exchange visits between the two Parliaments as a means of fostering links between Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff • Meetings between representatives of the Parliaments at conferences or seminars which they attend.
Senate President Kangaloo said that two out of every three immigrants from Trinidad and Tobago to Canada chose to settle in the Province of Ontario, with many, if not most, choosing to live in the city of Toronto. In 2012, former Governor-General of Canada, David Johnston had noted that some 100,000 people from Trinidad and Tobago live in Canada. Senate President Kangaloo said that thousands of citizens of Trinidad and Tobago and Canadians come together to celebrate the Caribbean Festival of Caribana in Toronto. "The truth of the matter, therefore, is that Trinidad and Tobago and the Province of Ontario have, in many ways, long been twinned. Today's ceremony may mark the twinning of our Legislatures, but the lives and the destinies of our peoples have long been inextricably intertwined and inseparably linked," she said. "Our historical and cultural indicators assure us that, as we work and live together, this endeavor, like all those of the past, will surely be immensely successful, and will add another important dimension to our shared destinies," she added. The twinning ceremony was also attended by the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Hon. Rick Nicholls, MPP; the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and CPA Ontario Branch Secretary, Todd Decker; the Vice-President of the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago, Senator Hon. Nigel de Freitas; the Deputy Speaker of the House at the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, Hon. Esmond Forde, MP; and the Clerk of the House at the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago and CPA Trinidad and Tobago Branch Secretary, Ms Jacqueline Sampson-Meiguel. Additional reporting by Paras Ramoutar in Trinidad and Tobago.