The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Small Branches workshop ‘Building Strong and Independent Parliaments in Small Jurisdictions’ has proved to be ‘an eye-opener’ Hon Alvina Reynolds, the President of the Senate of Saint Lucia, has said.

President Reynolds was speaking on the final day of the workshop, which ran from April 1 to April 3 and was organised by the CPA HQ Secretariat and supported by the Clerk of Tynwald’s Office.

The capacity-building event brought together parliamentarians from across the Small Branches network. Jurisdictions represented included Australian Capital Territory, Fiji, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Maldives, Northwest Territories of Canada, Samoa, Saint Lucia, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Tasmania, and Tuvalu.

She continued: ‘Having served as President of the Senate for some two years now, I found the workshop to be a valuable way of learning from other jurisdictions about how to be an effective presiding officer. To have had the opportunity to observe Mr Speaker in the House of Keys, to attend case study presentations, explore financial oversight and accountability practices and the management of the separation of powers were all real-life learning experiences, elements of which, such as the public accounts committee function, I will definitely be taking back to Saint Lucia.’

Hon Seve Paeniu MP from the Parliament of Tuvalu said: ‘I’m now in my fifth year in parliament and to attend this workshop and be exposed to different practices and processes – in particular the separation of powers – helps to crystallise one’s thoughts. Learning from others will provide opportunities for us to apply tailored solutions and integrate best practice into our own parliamentary system. I’ve also found it interesting learning from the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey about the “consensus” parliamentary model. That was new to me and something I will take home for discussion with my colleagues.’

President Reynolds said: ‘For my part, I was particularly keen to know more about how you can serve the electorate as an MP and carry out the presiding officer function. I was also curious about Tynwald’s tricameral system and I count myself very fortunate to have been exposed to such a wealth of knowledge and skills. When we visited the House of Commons I couldn’t really “get” how it operated. In Tynwald, though, I found it far easier to follow the practices and procedures and was struck by the respect Members showed to one another.’

States of Guernsey Deputy Adrian Gabriel, vice-chair of the CPA Small Branches network, said: ‘Observing a sitting of the House of Keys, we noted not only how respectful Members were to each other, but also towards Mr Speaker. I found the proceedings civilised and conducted with professionalism, and there was clearly great respect for the traditions of Tynwald.’ Mr Paeniu added: ‘I was also impressed by the practice of prayers being said before the sitting began. And the visit to Tynwald Hill gave a very real sense of tradition.’

Concluding, Deputy Gabriel said: ‘The workshop has been tremendously worthwhile and we’re very grateful to our hosts, the Isle of Man. This event is more than just about providing networking opportunities, it’s about helping parliaments to grow and make a difference. I’ve been pleased at the level of engagement of all the delegates - there’s been lots of participation, with everyone confident to speak openly, and I’ve been impressed by the scope and quality of the presentations. Events such as this bring home how we all share many similar problems but reach solutions in many different ways.’

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Notes for editors:

The CPA Small Branches network was established in 1981. It represents Commonwealth jurisdictions with populations of under one million and operates within the framework of the CPA.

For further information contact:

Office of the Clerk of Tynwald
Telephone: 01624 685500
Email: enquiries@tynwald.org.im
Website: www.tynwald.org.im