CPA Activties: The Canadian Scene

Twentieth Commonwealth well as representatives from two the South Shore (Lunenburg) or an Parliamentary Seminar provincial branches, New Bruns- afternoon of golf. All delegates will wick and Saskatchewan. be invited to a reception Dinner and Commonwealth Parliamen- evening of Nova Scotia entertain- Atary Seminar was held in Ot- ment at Pier 21, Canada’s Immigra- tawa from June 8 -14, 2008. It was CPA Regional Conference tion Museum. co-sponsored by the federal branch of CPA and by the International The 46th Canadian Regional Con- Headquarters. ference of CPA will be held in Hali- Canadian Regional Council Meeting Among the topics on the agenda fax from July 22-26, 2008. As has were: been the case in recent years it will be immediately preceded by a Con- The Executive body of the Canadian Region consisting of the Presidents § ference of the Commonwealth The Commonwealth and the Role of of the federal, provincial and terri- the CPA Women Parliamentarians (CWP) to be held July 21-22. torial CPA branches will meet to § The Parliamentary and Political The CWP will include a meeting discuss future plans for the Associa- Scene in Canada of the Canadian Network Steering tion. This meeting will take place on § The Role of the Presiding Officer, the Committee chaired by Charlotte Friday July 25, 2008. Parliamentary Staff and the Standing Orders L’Écuyer, MNA, of Quebec. It will be followed by three business ses- § Alberta Speaker Re-elected The MP and the Political Party sions on topic s of particular interest § Parliamentary Ethics, Transparency to women in their role as parliamen- On April 14, 2008, Ken Kowalski, and Accountability tarians. MLA for Barrhead-Morinville- § Parliamentary Committees and the The CPA Regional Conference Westlock, was re-elected Speaker of Committee System will be hosted by Alfie MacLeod, the Legislative Assembly of Al- § The Relationship Between Parlia- Speaker of the Nova Scotia House of ment and the People Assembly. There will be eight busi- ness sessions consisting of presenta- § Financial Scrutiny of the Executive tions by federal, provincial and § Parliament, the Executive and the territorial legislators. One of the ses- Public Service sion will focus on Democracy 250: § Right to Information commemorating 250 years of repre- sentative government in Canada. The presenters will be Russell G. Delegates were invited from each MacLellan, Premier of Nova Scotia of the Regions of the Common- (1997-1999) and John F. Hamm, wealth Parliamentary Association - Premier of Nova Scotia (1999-2006). Africa, Asia, Australia, the British Isles and Mediterranean, The Carib- The programme also includes op- bean, India, the Pacific and South portunities for delegates to visit East Asia. Canada was represented some on Nova Scotia’s famous by the three Canadian Regional places with Optional Tours avail- able to the Annapolis Valley and Representatives, Russ Hiebert, Bill Hon. Ken Kowalski, MLA Barisoff and Kathleen Casey as Grand Pré National Historic Site,

SUMMER 2008/CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW 71 berta. He was first elected Speaker Barrhead in 1973. In 1974, Mr. pointed to Cabinet as Minister of in 1997. Kowalski joined the Government of Public Works, Supply and Services, Speaker Kowalski, who is cur- Alberta as Executive Assistant to the Wild Rose Foundation and rently serving his ninth term as a the Deputy Premier. He was ap- ACCESS Corporation. He has also Member of the Legislative Assem- pointed Deputy Minister, Regional served as Minister of Career Devel- bly. He was first elected to the Al- Transportation Services in 1979. opment and Employment and as berta Legislature in a 1979 Mr. Kowalski has served as Chair Minister of Economic Development by-election, and has served under of the Select Committee on Surface and Tourism responsible for Tech- four Alberta Premiers: Peter Rights, Chair of the Heritage Sav- nology Research and Telecommu- Lougheed, Don Getty, Ralph Klein ings Trust Fund Select Committee nications, International Trade and Ed Stelmach. and as a member of the Syncrude Offices and Lotteries. He was Gov- He taught high school in Board of Directors. He was ap- ernment House Leader from June Barrhead, Alberta from 1969 to 1974 pointed Minister of the Environ- 15, 1993 to December 15, 1993. Mr. and coached the National Reach for ment and Minister of Alberta Public Kowalski served as Deputy Premier the Top High School Academic Safety Services in 1986. After his from 1992 to 1994. Championship Team from re-election in 1989, he was ap-

72 CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW/SUMMER 2008