59th Westminster Seminar on Parliamentary Practice and Procedures
REPORT
8th to 18th March 2010 By the Hon Alyssa Hayden MLC
Member for East Metropolitan Region
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59TH Westminster Seminar on Parliamentary Practice and Procedures 8 – 18 March 2010
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE NO:
INTRODUCTION 4
Monday 8 March 2010 The Role of Women in the 21st Century 4 Commonwealth Day Celebrations – Westminster Abbey 6
Tuesday 9 March 2010 The Westminster Parliamentary System 7 Political Update 7 Bicameratism and the Work of the Second Chamber 8 Role of Opposition 9 Debates 9
Wednesday 10 March 2010 Questions: Costs and Effectiveness 11 Public Expenditure and the Role of Parliament 11 Legislation 12 Private Members Bills 12 Effectiveness of Legislation 12 Committee System 13
Thursday 11 March 2010 Parliamentary Standards 15 The Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament 15 Hansard 18 Party Discipline in Parliament 18 Party Discipline 19 Running of Parliament 19 The Role of the MP in the Constituency 20
Friday 12 March 2010 Electorate Visit 21
Monday 15 March 2010 The Speaker’s Role in Parliament 22 The Serjeant at Arms 23 Industry and Parliamentary Trust (IPT) 24 The Electoral Commission 25
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) PAGE NO
Tuesday 16 March 2010 Broadcasting Parliament 26 The Transparency of Public Accounts 26 How is Parliament Run? 27
Wednesday 17 March 2010 Research and Information Services 28 Representing Equality and Diversity – Open Forum 28 MPs and the Internet; Modern Outreach and E‐Democracy 29
Thursday 18 March 2010 Parliamentary Democracy: 30 Strengthening and Supporting and Capacity Building 30 Promoting Democracy 30 Technical Cooperation Programme 30 International Assemblies need to be Encouraged 30 Climate Change 30 Copenhagen 30 MPs Role in Climate Change 31 Questions from the floor 31 The Global Financial Crisis 32
SUMMARY 33
Evening Functions and Events: 10 Downing Street 34 Speaker’s House 35 Women Speaking Their Mind 36 Men Sharing Their Thoughts 37
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INTRODUCTION
The Hon Alyssa Hayden MLC, Member for the East Metropolitan Region was nominated by her fellow Parliamentary colleagues to represent the West Australian Government and privileged to participate in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s 59th Westminster Seminar on Parliamentary Practice and Procedures during March 2010, held in London, England.
The following is her report on the Seminar.
Monday 8 March 2010
The seminar commenced with a detailed tour of the Westminster Palace that presented an opportunity to walk through the Palace and both Chambers of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The history was truly interesting and the architecture and detail remarkable, placing one back to the Eleventh Century, to a place built for Kings of England.
The first session of the forum was in keeping with the day, International Women’s Day.
The Role of Women in the 21st Century Chaired by Baroness Northover
How can women be further empowered in the 21st Century? Have women achieved equality with men? What is the representation of women in Parliament and their role as women Member’s?
Two speakers addressed the forum; both were detailed and made some very valid points, as listed below;
Mr Peter Bottomley MP (Conservative) • We are not just looking for equality for women but for equality across all nationalities, religion and gender.
• When men are only 50% good at their job, their confidence tells them they are 110% good at their job. However, women think the opposite way, when they are extremely good at their job they feel that they are only 50% as good and there is always someone who will be better.
• Women make great politicians as they are natural carers and are generally good at balancing home life, work and personal time.
• The biggest action that will attract women into Parliament and Parliamentary roles, begins with broadening and modifying the selection process for any position, such as committees, employment vacancies or pre‐selection of Members of Parliament etc. When selecting a pool of people for a committee for example. The method generally used is to approach relevant stakeholders and experts in the field and select one of their finest to join the committee. Generally these are all males, as unfortunately the percentages of women in these roles are very low.
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However, if people are selected from the highest position from all stakeholders, the resultant committee will be filled with similar people with similar experiences. However, does this allow for a good cross section of people, representing the wider community?
Opinion of Hon Alyssa Hayden MLC: So, the obvious thing to do, that will immediately start placing women into all levels and roles, is to broaden the selection process. Go passed the immediate circle to the next circle and collect people from different levels and experience. This will give a greater cross section of representatives, who will stimulate debate and will always create a better outcome.
Baroness Nicholson (Liberal Democrats) spoke about the larger issue behind involving women in parliament;
• The basics such as education, reading, writing and basic literature skills must first be implemented in all Commonwealth countries. Education will allow people to understand democracy and to be empowered to vote and to be done involved. To develop true democracy, adult literacy is vital amongst Commonwealth countries.
• Without literacy many people, from all races, religion and gender who try to enter the political arena, will leave broken, disappointed and will never return to attempt to be a part of the process again.
• Women in general are more humble in nature and shy to come forward. As a result they are happy to start at a lower position, but there needs to be a ladder system put in place to allow women to climb as their confidence and experience grows.
• In particular political parties need to implement systems and have ladders in place to encourage women to participate.
Question asked by Hon Alyssa Hayden MLC; How do we make women feel equal? For example I sit on a committee comprised of all men. There seems to be a general acceptance between them, however, I feel that as a woman, I needed to prove myself before I receive the same acceptance. How do we achieve the same instant acceptance?
Answer by Baroness Nicholson; Women must work together and form unity where they will then in turn demand the respect required. Work with your female colleagues to grow confidence and talent amongst the women in parliament.
Chair, Baroness Northover made a general statement that she believed there was a need for a quota system to attract women into Parliament.
Hon Alyssa Hayden responded and disagreed. An individual should be judged for their qualities and experience, not by their gender, nationality or religious beliefs.
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Commonwealth Day Celebrations – Westminster Abbey
All delegates were invited to attend the service held at Westminster Abbey in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.
This was an extremely honourable experience. Participants enjoyed the ceremony and witnessed the fantastic acoustics of the Cathedral with the enjoyable voices of the Choir.
Westminster Abbey, is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English then British and current monarchs of the Commonwealth Realm. Although many still refer to it as the Cathedral, it only held that status between 1546 and 1556. In fact, it is a Royal Peculiar, under the jurisdiction of the British Monarch, rather than a Bishop.
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Tuesday 9 March 2010
The Westminster Parliamentary System Chaired by Mr Paul Keetch MP –Liberal Democrat Speakers: Lord Tyler – Liberal Democrat; Mr Robert Rodgers – Director General Chamber Services; Dr Rhodri Walters – Reading Clerk.
All speakers presented an overview of the Westminster System. The following main points were raised and discussed: • Members of Parliament were moving towards more constituent work rather than policy; • The House of Lords was similar to the Canadian Senate; • The weakness in the House of Lords is due to the nomination system. The House of Lords is seen as a retirement home for retiring Members of Parliament. The average age of members of the House of Lords is 69 years; • There is a lack of legitimacy on how the house is elected; • The Code of Conduct and method of scrutiny needs to be improved. This is currently under review; • Will the technology of the 21st Century change the current ways of the system with growing demand to keep up with IT age?; • The House of Lords is not a full time position and MPs do not have a Government majority in the House. Lords are proudly independent; however the majority control the decisions. • Removing Ministers from the House of Lords to encourage involvement from the backbenchers is being considered. • Changing the 2nd Chamber to an election process, to bring back accountability to the House of Lords is also being considered. • The question out in the public is: have they lost touch with the general community? • The current electoral system does not work. In 1995, 75% of voters turned out on election day in 2005, 61.4% voted, which resulted in 35.2% of the population voted in the Government. How can this be a true representative of the country? • There needs to be an improved communication system to the public, educating them on the Westminster System and encouraging them to take an interest. • An interactive website “Billy the Bill” is being developed as a tool to educate the public on the procedure of legislation.
Political Update Chaired by Andrew Stunell MP – Liberal Democrat Speakers: Kate Hoey MP – Labour; Nigel Evans MP – Conservative
An update was given by the above on the upcoming election and the current system. • It was expected that Labour would not get back into power in May 2010 and the contributing factors raised were; o The National mood was opposed to the invasion in Iraq; o War on terror is a war on civil liberties. o It is argued the retention of a DNA register is against the rights of civil liberties; o Global recession warnings were made but not listened to, followed up by the government not having a solution; o High unemployment of 1 million; o The uncovering of corruption with the rorting of the system resulted in more people losing confidence in the system, not voting or switching parties; o It is predicted that only 60% of the population will turn out to vote in May 2010. Page 7 of 38
Questions asked by Hon Alyssa Hayden MLC; 1. Australia has compulsory attendance to vote. Has that been considered and in your opinion would it be of benefit?
Answers received:
It was an overwhelming No! If they were, they would include a box “None of the Above”.
2. Could party alliances be formed to win Government, as with the Liberal and National Parties in Australia?
Answer received; We would not want to follow the Australian way, we believe in Majority rules.
Bicameratism and the Work of the Second Chamber Chaired by Rt Hon Baroness Hayman – Lord Speaker
Speaker: Lord Harrison – Labour
The following points were raised and discussed: • Lords receive no salary, the only form of payment is through allowances;
• The role of the 2nd chamber is to better legislation through scrutiny and amendments.
• Lords must remember their place. As they are not elected, they cannot overturn legislation, but they can delay and recommend amendments. They cannot enforce their amendments.
• Currently the House of Lords sits with 110 Government Members, 98 Conservative, with approximately 200 independents and 78 Liberal Democrats. No party has the majority.
• Due to the general age of members in the 2nd Chamber at approximately 68yrs, they are not ruled by ambition so not worried about toeing party line as such. Therefore altering the government stance on an issue is often evidenced.
• In general the House of Lords is made up of people with high experience in business, doctors, scientists and artists who are to bring their own expertise and life experience to scrutineers and committee work;
• As members are not elected, the Chamber needs to ensure members are accountable to gain public confidence;
• Lord Speaker has tenure of 5 years and can run two terms in succession. This position is elected by all members of the House of Lords. A speaker can stand again after a 5 year break.
• The Lord Speaker must give up Party allegiance, membership and return to the crossbenches after tenure. They cannot return to their party nor can they campaign. The Lord Speaker must demand confidence across all parties. Page 8 of 38
Role of Opposition
Speakers: John Narrett MP – Liberal Democrat Mark Pritchard MP ‐ Conservative
Both speakers addressed the forum. The following points were raised and discussed;
• Government always has more reason to fear the media than the opposition;
• It is from opposition that a Party renews itself;
• The Opposition’s role is to hold the Government to account, however it should always put the country before the party and member’s careers. This is something that is not always practised;
• Opposition is a Government in waiting;
• In reference to Freedom of Information, Politicians should not fear the public and there should always be openness and accountability;
• All oppositions should have the freedom of the press, it is only weak leaders who do not allow this;
• The most important skill for any opposition and indeed government is to communicate with people – (People Skills).
Debates Speakers: Mr Eric Illsley MP – Labour Mr Peter Bottomley ‐ Conservatives
Why debate, what is the purpose and use? What are the different types of debate?
• Government needs acceptability of new legislation, and it does this by convincing representatives in Parliament and ensure the majority accept new legislation;
• Further reason to debate is to highlight a new idea, to bring it to the attention of the Parliament and the public;
• Adjournment debates are usually given to backbenchers for MP’s to raise an issue of concern to them or their electorate. 15 minutes adjournment debates are allocated for MP’s to put their case to the Minister. The Minister is then given 15 minutes to reply;
• Government time is given to debate major issues of the day and includes topics such as International Woman’s Day. This only occurs in the House of Commons;
• Topical debates were introduced into the Order of Business in 2007 following a committee report titled “Revitalising the Chamber:the role of the back bencher”. It is usual for backbenchers
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to participate in this debate time. Debate runs for 90 minutes on a weekly basis on regional, national or international importance;
• Political debate is run through the media;
• Emergency debates are initiated from the Opposition and generally will not make a change to current legislations although hopefully bring about changes within a few years when the legislation is reviewed. It is important that MP’s record their thoughts as they may influence legislation in a few years’ time.
Question by the Hon Alyssa Hayden MLC; Many hours of Parliament are taken up by lengthy speeches by MP’s who often repeat themselves. Although the gag rule is an option it is not generally put into practice. Our Lead Speaker receives unlimited time with remaining speakers receiving a maximum of 60 minutes in the Lower House. Does the British Parliament have time allocations for speakers and if so could details be provided?
Answer: The Lead Speaker has unlimited time with the remaining speakers given 6 minutes each. The other option is to divide the time allocated by the amount of speakers who rise. The House of Commons is very strict and ridged with these rules and filler blustering is not tolerated.
There is pressure not to speak to long in the House of Lords. Backbenchers can speak and vote against the party line. Whips do not have any control on who can speak or the order of the speakers list. This is all controlled by the Lord Speaker.
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Wednesday 10 March 2010
Questions: Costs and Effectiveness Chaired by Rt Hon Kevin Barron MP – Labour
Speaker: Mr Andrew Kennon – Clerk of the Table Office, House of Commons
What are the different types of questions? How are they tabled? Freedom of Information and how legislation effects questions.
Types of questions where discussed and explained; • Oral questions require 3 day’s notice and are randomly shuffled with the top 25 questions allowed; • Topical questions: no notice of the question is required, just the name of the Member and contain interesting and new developments that have occurred; • Prime Minister questions run for 30 minutes every sitting Wednesday. It previously ran for 15 minutes every Tuesday and Wednesday. A record of who asked a question, with the call going from side to side of the Chamber ensures an even distribution, displaying a fair system; • Urgent questions, formerly known as Private Notice Questions were altered in the 2002/03 Parliamentary Session in the House of Commons, Private Notice Questions still remain in the House of Lords. It is up to the Speaker’s discretion who can put the questions however, it is common practice that Ministers prepare and deliver their answer to a question before waiting for the Speaker to grant the question; • Question Statistics: Approximately 56,000 questions are tabled per year, 410 per day. There are 30 written questions per day and 200 Prime Minister questions per day; • Freedom of Information requests are treated more seriously by the Government Departments than questions. • Cost of questions to Parliament: Oral £425 Written £125 Equalling £10.4m per year • Use of modern technology has given Backbench Members access to information, which has resulted in the need to ask questions and has obviously lowered the number of questions put forward.
Public Expenditure and the Role of Parliament Chaired by Jacqui Lait MP ‐ Conservative
Speakers: Mr Richard Bacon MP – Conservative Mr Austin Mitchell MP – Labour Mr John Benger – Clerk of Delegated Legislation, House of Commons.
How does the Estimate Cycle work? How does the Budget Cycle work? Does Parliament have a role in the process? Should Parliament approve the Budget before it is tabled? Can it be defined and refined?
An interesting discussion ensued, considering the different countries represented at the Conference. Accountability is something that has not extended to ALL Commonwealth countries as well as hoped.
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The following points where made by speakers: • The Government is authorised to raise funds through taxes and have been voted in to Budget where the money is to be spent; • A Select Committee reviews the expenditure of all Government Departments. A Scrutineer Unit examines the estimates in full detail and provides a briefing to the Select Committee; • Although there is scrutiny, the recommendations rarely affect the Budget. Amendments can only recommend a reduction in funds, which is never politically favourable; • The Opposition chairs the Public Accounts Committee and has independent staff working to assist them to examine the accounts on public expenditure. They review the value, not the merits of expenditure; • Parliament has three (3) roles to play: pass legislation, control finances and keep check on the Executive (Cabinet); • Although Backbenchers can make noise, they do not have any control over the Executive. In general, the control of the Executive is at the discretion of the Prime Minister of the day; • Although the role of a Member of Parliament is to monitor the performance of the Executive and keep it in check, it is a very difficult role to complete.
Legislation Chaired by Lord Dholakia – Deputy Leader Liberal Democrats, House of Lords Speakers: Mr Tom Mohan – Clerk of Public and Private Bills, House of Lords Mr Alan Sandall‐ Clerk of Grand Committees, House of Commons
Private Members Bills Parliament sits 13 Fridays per year to debate Private Members Bills; • There is a Ballot of 20 MP’s names with the first 7 names receiving a full day for the second reading of their bill. The bill should be fully debated and voted on by the end of that day. The remaining names in the Ballot then negotiate between themselves, generally looking for shorter bills and no funding bills that will be debated. • Attendance is always low in the House on these days, so Member presenting their bill must have at least 40 Members present to ensure a quorum, failing which, Parliament will be forced to adjourn for the day; • The Private Members Bill must pass through the Report Stage in the one day allocated, wherein other Members may seek amendments that drag on to take up time resulting in the Bill not being passed; • The tabling Member can seek leave to have the Debate continued, although it will never get through or passed to go to the House of Lords. This allows the Member to get attention on the issue and raise awareness.
Effectiveness of Legislation • Expertise is required to draft legislation; • Parliamentarians are not experts in drafting legislation, but do play a great political role and impact on the drafting of legislation; • When drafting legislation, cultural, social and economical matters and concerns need to be reflected; • When drafting legislation, the first question must be “can it be enforced”? However there is an exception to this rule. If the public accept the need for the law, they will enforce it themselves, such as wearing seatbelts and drink driving regulations as these are community issues and save lives. Page 12 of 38
Committee System
Speakers: Mr Mike Gapes MP – Labour, Chairman, Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Mr Tim Yeo MP – Conservative Mr Robert Wilson – Principal Clerk of Select Committees and Deputy Head of the Committee Office, House of Commons.
How do committees function? Are Members appointed or voted in? To whom do they report and who monitors them? Do committee have a role in Parliament?
The above Speakers provided great insight into the committee system. The main point often forgotten is that their public forget that Parliament is not the same as Government. Government is accountable to Parliament and this is achieved through the committee system. Often the roles of Members and Government can get confused.
A large aspect of the work of both Houses is conducted within these committees, which MPS and Lords are members. Committees consider policy issues, review and scrutinise Government’s legislation proposals by consulting with experts in that particular field and via community consultation.
• There are 29 current committees in place which include one for each of the 19 departments. Other committees range from Backbencher committees to Scottish Affairs and Standards and Privileges;
• The Chair of the Committee must be a Backbencher as Ministers cannot hold this position;
• The Chair is paid £15,000 per annum and can only sit for two (2) years;
• Each committee has a maximum of twelve (12) members;
• Staffing in the House of Commons consists of a 5‐8 staff team lead by the Clerk. Their responsibilities are to assist with scrutiny of legislation, conduct hearings, public engagement sessions, research and assist the Members;
• The committees meet between 25‐40 times per year and can cover 30 different subjects per year;
• When conducting a hearing, advertisements are placed in newspapers and displayed on the committee’s website, encouraging the community to participate;
• One of the biggest challenges for committees is updating and adjusting their website to be user friendly, especially to the general public. The committees are beginning to list not just information on the structure of the committees, but the issues the committee’s dealing with;
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• Another tool that has just been introduced to encourage engagement with the public is the use of Twitter for updating current work of the committees. It is believed this social media will assist the community consultation process and encourage the general public to be more involved;
• Essentially the work of committees, can only be recommended to the House as it is up to the Government of the day to act on any recommendations;
• It is the intention of this Parliament to have smaller committees in the future with the chair’s to be elected;
• Committee work for a Members of Parliament can be very satisfying as the effort is very rewarding.
Question asked by the Hon Alyssa Hayden:
How are the committee members selected and who elects the Chair?
Answer: Committee chairs and members are elected by the entire House by way of ballot and are to reflect the composition of the House. For example, the majority of members will be elected from the Governing Party and will also reflect a balance of gender. Elections are held at the beginning of each new Parliament.
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Thursday 11 March 2010
Parliamentary Standards Chaired by Mr Chris Mullen MP – Labour
Speakers: Mr John Lyon – Parliamentary Commissioner of Standards, House of Commons Mr Andrew Dismore MP ‐ Labour
This session was of great interest considering the current scandal that was surrounding many Members of Parliament in the tabloids on misuse of funds. It also created a lot of discussion from delegates from other countries where rules, discipline and accountability was not something they needed to abide by or be answerable.
The rules outlined by the Westminster system are thorough and are treated very seriously
Members of Parliament are expected to observe the general rules of Principles and the Code of Conduct identified by the Committee of Standards in Public Life. These principals are considered when any complaint is received.
The Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament Prepared pursuant to the Resolution of the House of 19th July 1995
I. Purpose of the Code 1. The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to assist Members in the discharge of their obligations to the House, their constituents and the public at large by: a) Providing guidance on the standards of conduct expected of Members in discharging their parliamentary and public duties, and in so doing b) Providing the openness and accountability necessary to reinforce public confidence in the way in which Members perform those duties.
II. Scope of the Code 2. The Code applies to Members in all aspects of their public life. It does not seek to regulate what Members do in their private and personal lives; 3. The obligations set out in this Code are complementary to those which apply to all Members by virtue of the procedural and other rules of the House and the rulings of the Chair, and to those which apply to Members falling within the scope of the Ministerial Code;
III. Public Duties of Members 4. By virtue of the oath or affirmation of allegiance taken by all Members when elected to the House, Members have a duty to be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen, her heirs and successors, according to law; 5. Members have a duty to uphold the law, including the general law against discrimination and to act on all occasions in accordance with the public trust placed in them; 6. Members have a general duty to act in the interests of the nation as a whole; and a special duty to their constituents;
IV. General Principles of Conduct
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7. In carrying out their parliamentary and
8. public duties, Members will be expected to observe the following general principles of conduct identified by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in its First Report as applying to holders of public office. These principles will be taken into consideration when any complaint is received of breaches of the provisions in other sections of the Code.
• Selflessness ‐ Holders of public office should take decisions solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends;
• Integrity ‐ Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might influence them in the performance of their official duties;
• Objectivity ‐ In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit;
• Accountability ‐ Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office;
• Openness ‐ Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands;
• Honesty ‐ Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest;
• Leadership ‐ Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.
V. Rules of Conduct
9. Members are expected in particular to observe the following Rules and associated Resolutions of the House;
10. Members shall base their conduct on a consideration of the public interest, avoid conflict between personal interest and the public interest and resolve any conflict between the two, at once, and in favour of the public interest;
11. No Member shall act as a paid advocate in any proceeding of the House;
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12. The acceptance by a Member of a bribe to influence his or her conduct as a Member, including any fee, compensation or reward in connection with the promotion of, or opposition to, any Bill, Motion, or other matter submitted, or intended to be submitted to the House, or to any Committee of the House, is contrary to the law of Parliament;
13. In any activities with, or on behalf of, an organisation with which a Member has a financial relationship, including activities which may not be a matter of public record such as informal meetings and functions, he or she must always bear in mind the need to be open and frank with Ministers, Members and officials;
14. Members must bear in mind that information which they receive in confidence in the course of their parliamentary duties should be used only in connection with those duties, and that such information must never be used for the purpose of financial gain;
15. Members shall at all times ensure that their use of expenses, allowances, facilities and services provided from the public purse is strictly in accordance with the rules laid down on these matters, and that they observe any limits placed by the House on the use of such expenses, allowances, facilities and services;
16. Members shall at all times conduct themselves in a manner which will tend to maintain and strengthen the public's trust and confidence in the integrity of Parliament and never undertake any action which would bring the House of Commons, or its Members generally, into disrepute.
VI. Registration and Declaration of Interests
17. Members shall fulfil conscientiously the requirements of the House in respect of the registration of interests in the Register of Members' Interests and shall always draw attention to any relevant interest in any proceeding of the House or its Committees, or in any communications with Ministers, Government Departments or Executive Agencies.
18. VII. Duties in respect of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and the Committee on Standards and Privileges
19. The application of this Code shall be a matter for the House of Commons and for the Committee on Standards and Privileges and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards acting in accordance with Standing Orders Nos 149 and 150 respectively;
20. Members shall cooperate, at all stages, with any investigation into their conduct by or under the authority of the House;
21. No Member shall lobby a member of the Committee on Standards and Privileges in a manner calculated or intended to influence their consideration of a complaint of a breach of this Code.
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Hansard Speakers: Ms Lorraine Sutherland – Editor, Hansard, House of Commons Mr Richard Purnell – Sub‐Editor, Hansard, House of Commons
• The beginning of the Official Report of Parliament was traced back to 1803, when for the first time the Public Gallery in the House of Commons allocated seats to the newspapers; • The Hansard records of today are a clear and independent record of the proceedings of both Houses and committee work; • The general public has many ways access the current Hansard. One way is via a rolling version that runs on the internet during a sitting day. Electronic proceedings are also available dating back to October 1988 and older bound copies are available on CD. Daily copies can also be purchased for £5.00 at Parliament and most public libraries also stock Hansard; • The forum raised the point that should Hansard be able to edit proceedings, recordings should be verbatim to reflect the true speaking ability of the member as editing could change the style of the Member’s speech. At the end of the discussion it was agreed that Hansard do a great job at making most Members deliveries sound professional and well delivered. It was noted that Hansard kept a full recording of each session.
Party Discipline In Parliament Chaired by Mr Ben Chapman MP – Labour
Speakers: Mr James Duddridge MP – Conservative, Opposition Whip Lord Shutt of Greetland – Liberal Democrat, Chief Whip Rt Hon John Spellar MP – Labour, Comptroller of Her Majesty’s Household
How do Whips operate as channels of communication between the front and back benches? How is party discipline maintained? How do Governments and Opposition interact to deliver parliamentary business? How are Whips Offices organised?
James Duddridge explained how the Conservatives organise their Members:
• Thirteen (13) Deputy Whips look after a flock of 15 Members.
• Each Deputy Whip is responsible to find out what the issues of each member of their flock are, their views and how they will be vote;
• Each Deputy Whip must also keep track of the MPs electorate work, family life and how they are generally travelling;
• Each Deputy Whip is also given a Department responsibility. They must keep on top of all legislation that the department is working on and must see that the legislation is put through the procedures and delegated legislation stages of the Department;
• Deputy Whip’s are also responsible for floor management of the House. This entails ensuring that the correct Members are present, who the speakers are and that they are present, bench duty and to sit near the speaker to make notes of side stories and the style of the chamber;
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• The Whip’s office ensures that there is camaraderie between Members; information is shared; a training ground for new members and assists any Members who ma y experience difficulties in their role as a Parliamentarian or in their personal life.
Rt Hon John Spellar’s comments: • Managing pairing is an essential role of the Whip and for the smooth running of Parliament. • The name “Whip” comes from fox hunting, hounds were whipped into the right direction to chase the fox.
Lord Shutt’s comments; • There is a Chief Whip, a Deputy and four (4) Assistant Whips; • One Whip is on duty for the day which is shared across the sitting days; • The Whip’s role is to negotiate and agree on the programme of the Government’s Business; • The biggest challenge for the Chief Whip is not to lose their temper with the Opposition as it would have a detrimental effect on the relationship between the Parties.
Party Discipline Lord Shutt’s comments; • The House of Lords has no sanction to a Party. The Whip can be influential but cannot threaten a Member as happens in the House of Commons. Whip’s conduct Party Room meetings, however it is not compulsory attendance and only about 30‐40 attend each Party Room meeting out of 770 Members.
Rt Hon John Spellar’s comments; • Many Members have a few key issues they are passionate about, however they do not have the expertise or knowledge of the entire topic, so they rely on the beliefs of their Party; • Having Party beliefs allows the general public to understand who they are voting for and what MPs stand for. In general this is how many Members are voted in, by the beliefs of their Party, and this is why it is so important that Members have some form of party discipline.
Running of Parliament Chaired by Sir Nicholas Winterton MP – Conservative
Sir Winterton presided over an open session and took questions from the floor on the running of Parliament. He was extremely well‐versed and enlightened the conference. Most of the delegates agreed this was the most enjoyable session to date.
Overall, Sir Winterton’s remarks reflected his beliefs there should be less legislation and more debate. Far too often legislation was rushed through due to the high amount of legislation tabled, that was deemed to be urgent. It was also his opinion, that there would have less problematic legislation if this was the case.
The need to fund and establish a good quality Clerk’s office was vital to the smooth running of any Parliament.
Other conference delegates requested assistance to set up a true democracy system in their Countries.
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The Role of the MP in the Constituency Chaired by Lord Corbett of Castle Vale – Labour
Speakers: Mr Andy Love MP – Labour Mr Andrew Rosindell MP ‐ Conservative
Both Speakers shared their experiences and made the following points:
• The UK voting systems works on First Past the Post;
• It was important to put the Country’s agenda first, followed by the constituency and then your Party loyalty;
• Member’s have been elected to govern the country and to make decisions on what is best for the country;
• On average a Member’s recognition within their electorate is only 40%;
• The vote for the Party has weakened over the past 20 years, with many new Parties being established. This has affected the role of the MP and new Members must spend more time in their electorates;
• The public is now demanding more from their local Member, as they see are as their local voice with the power to make changes;
• It has become very difficult to grow Party memberships as people are shying away from joining political parties.
• Members receive an allowance for staffing and can decide the amount they wish to pay and whom they employ. Depending on the skills and wage expectation, they can have four (4) lower paid staff or employ two (2) senior staff on higher wages.
• Doorknocking is generally concentrated around election time. Between elections the local MP relies on public meetings, attending street markets, meetings and functions for exposure.
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Friday 12 March 2010
Electorate Visit With Mr Andrew Rosindell MP – Conservative
Delegates were divided up amongst the House of Commons Members and taken out to their corresponding electorates for the day. The aim was to experience and witness the work conducted by the Members and how they interacted with the electorate. This session was regarded as a valuable day and allowed the delegation to see parts of London outside the city and appreciate the Members’ roles in their communities.
The Hon Alyssa Hayden was hosted by Mr Andrew Rosindell MP who represented the electorate of Romford. The constituency covered Romford, Gidea Park and Collier Row in the London Borough of Havering, East London. Although the constituency included the middle‐class Romford Garden Suburb area, large housing estates also formed part of the constituency and the electorate was mostly working class Conservatives.
The delegation visited Bower Park School, a local school within Mr Rosindell’s electorate. The students had prepared a one‐on‐one tour for each Member, providing an excellent tour of the school’s facilities and the type of free choice classes available to them.
Each student was extremely proud of their school and the passion and dedication from the Principal had obviously flowed down through the teachers to the students of the school.
Their school motto, “believe in yourself, be yourself, be proud of your success!” was obviously effective and reflected the way students conducted themselves.
The day also included a walk through a local market with the Member, who demonstrated how important it was to get out on the streets and spend time with the local community. It was very obvious that Mr Rosindell was a regular visitor to these markets as he was well recognised with many locals approaching him with their concerns and issues.
The Hon Alyssa Hayden with other delegates and school students in the Electorate with Mr Andrew Rosindell MP featured centre of the photo.
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Monday 15 March 2010
The Speaker’s Role in Parliament Chaired by Sir Michael Lord MP ‐ Conservative
Speakers: Rt Hon John Bercow MP – Spaker of the House of Commons Hon Dr Fehmida Mirza MNA – Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan
The Speaker acts as Chairman during debates in the Commons Chamber and sees that the rules laid down by the House for the carrying on of its business are observed.
Special attention was given to the Pakistani Speaker, Hon Dr Fehmida Mirza by the hosts. Dr Mirza was the first female speaker in the Muslim world and spoke of the expectations and scrutiny she was subject to in her country and by the entire Muslim world. Dr Mirza made the following points; • There is no need for The Speaker in the Pakistan government to resign from their political party, however they do not attend Party Room meetings; • In her new role as Speaker, Dr Mirza believes it is her responsibility to encourage and develop women in parliament; • To achieve this, Dr Mirza has formed a group of female Members of Parliament across the parties who meet regularly to discuss issues affecting women.
Rt Hon John Bercow made the following comments about the Speaker’s role in the UK: • Speakers are elected at the beginning of each new parliament, this of course changes if the current Speaker resigns, retires or passes away; • In 2001 new election procedures were adopted for the House of Commons; • The new procedure is by secret ballot and only Members of Parliament can vote for the new Speaker; • Each candidate makes a speech in Parliament explaining why they believe they should be elected before the vote is put. • The Speaker has three (3) deputies: I. Chairman of Ways and Means; II. First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means; III. Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means; • The Speaker and Deputies do not vote in divisions in the House. The sitting Speaker holds a casting vote in the event of a tie. • As a Speaker, Hon Bercow is always conscious and mindful of receiving a balance of opinions crossing the region, religion and gender on all issues passing through the House. • The shouting, yelling and name calling that have occurred in the Chamber in the past, is no longer tolerated by the general public. The Speaker now tries to encourage courteous and respectful debates, however, there needs to be a healthy balance, so as not to lose emotion and passion from the Chamber; • Outside of the Chamber, the Speaker visits schools, interest groups and is involved in the “Outreach” programme that is designed to build relationships around the Commonwealth. It’s motto is “Keep the Best and Improve the Rest”.
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The Serjeant at Arms
Chaired by Sir Nicholas Winterton MP – Conservative
Speakers: Mrs Jill Pay – Sergeant at Arms.
Mrs Jill Pay is the first female Sergeant, appointed in 2009. Mrs Pay delivered a power point presentation covering the follow points:
• The Sergeant at Arms is responsible for security and keeping order in the House of Commons area of the parliament property. Areas include the Chamber, public galleries, committee rooms and Commons’ open space;
• Security includes an access control system to enter Parliament, Offsite mail screening and internal and external security management. With over one (1) million visitors each year this is an extremely busy and vital job;
• With targets such as “Big Ben”, the position on the Thames and underground trains, the Sergeant works closely with the Metro Police and MI5 Intelligence unit.
• There are 500 police officers based in Parliament;
• Every vehicle that enters the premises drives over a video camera that checks underneath the vehicles , random checks and searches are undertaken on staff, MP’s and contractors;
• Hand‐held readers are carried by security, to check ID’s;
• As Question Time is a vulnerable time, the Prime Minister enters the Parliament a different way each day. Additional Police are also put on duty during this time;
• A glass petition has been inserted in the Public Gallery after a bag of flour was thrown from the Gallery into the Chamber;
• Every visitor is checked outside the building before entering the Public Gallery and is photographed while waiting in line to enter;
• There are also ceremonial duties performed by the Sergeant at Arms. The carrying of the Mace during the Speaker’s procession, sits in the Chamber during sittings and is responsible for the security within the Chamber and can be asked by the Speaker to escort people out of the Chamber;
• A traditional uniform and sword is worn however as Mrs Pay is the first female Sergeant, a special uniform was designed and made to suit.
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Industry and Parliamentary Trust (IPT) Chaired by Baroness Harris of Richmond – Liberal Democrat, Vice‐Chairman, Board of Trustees ,IPT
Speakers: Mrs Sally Muggeridge – CEO IPT Mr Bill Olner MP – Labour, Chairman of Board of Trustees, IPT
What are the benefits of increased dialogue between Parliamentarians and the business sector? How does IPT operate? To whom does it report? What are the benefits for Parliamentarians?
An overview of IPT was given by Sally Muggeridge:
• IPT provides information and advice on the business sector from the shop floor to the boardroom level;
• All Members of Parliament must undertake an 18 day fellowship course in the business industry. There were currently 230 fellowships in operation.
• A “Farm to Fork” fellowship exists where agricultural Members can learn everything they need to know to represent their region;
• Provides communication between the business sector and Parliamentarians;
• IPT is a charitable organisation and survives on the financial support of the business community;
• Businesses make donations of up to £9,500 per year. Approximately 100 companies supporting IPT.
• This organisation was set up by Parliamentarians; it was not driven by the business community;
• Business cannot use this as a lobbing tool, as ITP works under a strict code of conduct;
• Chambers of Commerce and other Business Associations are all friends of IPT and share knowledge.
Both Members of Parliament strongly endorsed the work of IPT, explaining the huge benefits for both MP’s and the business community. The knowledge and communication between the two roles assists with better legislation and reflects the needs of the business community.
Hon Alyssa Hayden was keen on seeing a similar programme adopted in Western Australia and if successful, to see it extended across the nation. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA may be attempting to achieve this; however they may not be independent enough to reproduce this type of programme.
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The Electoral Commission
Chaired by Ms Vera Baird MP – Labour
Speaker: Mr Peter Wardle – Chief Executive
The role of the Electoral Commission was outlined: • register political parties;
• make sure people understand and follow the rules; o on party and election finance; o publish details of where parties and candidates get money from and how they spend it; o set the standards for electoral registration and running elections and report on how well this is done; o make sure people understand it is important to register to vote, and know how to vote; o run any referendums held in accordance with the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.
The UK Electoral Commission operates using the first‐past‐the‐post voting system. The candidate gaining the most votes wins and in the case of a tie, the winner is selected by the drawing of names out of a hat or tossing a coin.
Election process of the UK system:
• Donations to a Party over £500 must originate from a UK source. No overseas companies or individuals can make donations over £500; • A donation Cap exists of £10,000 per candidate and £19m to Parties from Company Organisations; • Paid advertisement is banned in the UK. All parties must be given the same amount of free air time; • There are 46.2 million electors registered. Between 8‐9% are registered; • Only 60‐80% of the voting population turn out to vote on polling day; • Postal votes were introduced in 2005, which increased voting participation slightly.
Hon Alyssa Hayden MLC again raised the issue of compulsory attendance to vote and explained that this encouraged the younger generation to be involved. Instead of losing people’s interest for ever to vote, Australia at least had the chance to re‐engage and educate people about their right to vote.
The Commission agreed it was spending a lot of money on trying to get people interested in voting and trying to get them to turn out to vote. At least the Australian voting system made people attend a polling booth. More work needs to be done to encourage people to make their vote count.
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Tuesday 16 March 2010
Broadcasting Parliament Chaired by Rt Hon Lord McNally
Speaker: Mr Peter Knowles – BBC Parliament
Both Mr Peter Knowles and Hon McNally spoke on the role of broadcasting and how the use of the internet and communication could attract more interest within the general community.
• After World War II the BBC decided that a daily report of Parliament would be beneficial. In 1945 reporter was based inside Parliament to provide a report of the daily proceedings; • Over 1 million listeners per week are reached by radio. The programme runs for half and hour on each sitting day. In the very growing new age of technology, the radio must never be forgotten or underestimated as a very powerful and cheap method of communicating; • Online access to Parliament allows individuals to type in their personal address and find out who their local MP is and details on how to contact them; • Internet access to Parliament has shown that more women use this service than men and it attracts the more affluent and older generation; • Currently there is only a system to monitor people accessing the system from home accounts. There is no method as yet to monitor access from business accounts; • The comment was made from the floor that the televised Question Time may only highlight the bad behaviour of Parliament giving people a negative opinion. The response made was that people still love to watch Question Time (QT) and enjoy the banter. The BBC plays a lot more than QT on the radio, however the TV coverage of QT receives a larger audience. It is interesting to note that since televised coverage, attendance of MP’s in the Chamber has dropped.
The Transparency of Public Accounts Chaired by Mr Edward Leigh MP – Conservative, Chair of Public Accounts Committee Speaker: David Goldberg – National Audit Office
Discussions were held regarding the importance of transparency across the Commonwealth. There has not been a full transparency throughout the Commonwealth and there is still a lot of corruption in the Parliamentary system throughout the World.
Uganda has spent a long time correcting it’s system, although it still has a long way to go. It has managed to implement a system to eliminate corruption within Parliament.
As partnerships form across Commonwealth countries, significant changes have been made on assisting many countries to obtain democracy and an independent audit system, which has allowed for more transparent governance.
The UK system appoints a Board to advertise for the Audit General position, interview and appoint. The most favoured candidate seems to need a military background. Many of the highly appointed positions in the current UK system seem to come from a military background as training in this field is highly regarded.
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The role of the Public Accounts Committee examines public spending across all government departments and pays particular attention to ensure money allocated to other government departments has been done correctly and economically. It is chaired by an Opposition Member, with 16 Opposition and 9 Government Members. It is supported by the National Audit Office of 700 staff. It’s budget is currently £600 million and in 8 years it has saved £4 million. It is estimated that for every £1 million spent on running the committee, it saves £10 million.
How is Parliament Run?
Speakers: Mr Shailesh Vara MP – Conservatives Dr Malcolm Jack – Clerk of the House of Commons Mr Michael Pownall – Clerk of the Parliaments
The above speakers discussed how and what makes Parliament work.
• For Parliament to be effective there must be a real representation of the general public;
• Gender, race and religion must be reflected through the Members of Parliament;
• Committee work is vital to the healthy running of Parliament, if MP’s reflect the true diversity of the people, then the committee work will reflect the need and wants of the general public;
• Committee work is also the best way to involve all MP’s in the process of Parliament;
• The two Houses run completely separately. Each House has its own staff, structure and budget. However it is important that they work closely on many issues;
• The growth of services such as building maintenance and IT have increased the work load and is shared across Houses;
• Expenses and payments made to the Lords was being reviewed, as it is very outdated;
• Administration of the Parliament is budgeted at £170 million per annum.
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Wednesday 17th March 2010
Research and Information Services Speakers: Mr John Pullinger ‐ Director General Information and Services – House Commons Ms Elizabeth Smith ‐ Director of Information Services and Librarians – House of Lords
Both speakers gave a thorough overview of the services available to Members of Parliament. Their main concern has the lack of interaction with Members face to face since the introduction of internet technology.
UK services were not dissimilar to Australia, the main difference was having separate services for the two Houses and the Lords do not have research officers, so they rely on this service significantly.
Representing Equality and Diversity – Open Forum Chaired by John Auston MP
This session was opened to the floor for discussion. Below are comments made from represented countries:
• Montserrat ‐ It should always be the right person for the job; should not appoint a woman or different nationality just to have an even representation; should always be on merit;
• Seashells – has a very good representation of genders and representative industries with their members;
• Mauritius – has a unique system with 22 constituency and many ethnic communities which must be represented in Parliament; has a “best looser system” where the best of 6 Members from those who did not win election; must mark which ethnic group they represent; would like to see a change that the people would see themselves as Mauritian and not a minority ethnic group so issues could be seen as one.
• NSW – The Labor Party has a loading for women to run for election.
• New Zealand – 7 out of 60 seats are Maori seats; there is a separate election role ‐ “Maori role” ‐ 122 members vote twice – individual person to represent and then political party to form government. So many members are not voted in to represent the electorate but get in on the votes for the Party. In summary most ethnic groups are represented.
• Pakistan – participant spoke about his own personal experience; after running as a candidate for the UK Parliament unsuccessfully as he could not get endorsed by a major Political Party, he returned to Pakistan and is now a Member of Parliament. His experience lead him to feel the British Parliament is not as open to ethnic representation as the general community believes.
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• Falklands – Had over 50% female candidates at the last election. However a person should not just stand because of gender or ethnicity, but stand as a representative for their country.
• Hong Kong – When there is good representation of genders standing for Parliament, but only men are elected, there is a need to analyse the community not the Parliament or its system. True democracy will be interfered with if seats are allocated to represent women, ethnic communities and religions.
• Cayman Islands – Have a female speaker of the House for many years. Women in the Cayman Islands are very well represented and play a major role in decision making. An enquiry should be carried out to ascertain why women choose not to run for public office to ascertain how they can be encouraged in the future.
MPs and the Internet; Modern Outreach and E‐Democracy Speaker: Mr Andy Richardson, Director, Hansard Society, eDemocracy Programme.
Mr Richardson spoke on about the use of blogging, twittering and face booking:
• The main concern with blogging and twittering is that the audience in the electorate cannot be targeted;
• Being restricted to a small number of characters in twittering and blogging to get messages out can be difficult. The message can be misunderstood and offend the audience target;
• Internet should not be the sole broadcast medium; it should compliment MP’s normal activities;
• MP’s must still get out and engage with their community face to face.
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Thursday 18th March 2010
Parliamentary Democracy: Strengthening and Supporting and Capacity Building Speaker: Mr Ken Courtenay, General Secretary, British Group, Inter‐Parliamentary Union (IPU)
Mr Courtenay provided a brief history of the IPU and outlined below the ways to strengthen and support democracy: • The first Parliamentary Conference was held 1889 at the Hotel Continental in Paris; • Focus for IPU is to open worldwide parliamentary dialogue, work for peace and co‐operation and to establish democracy; • The Australian Federal Government is a member of the IPU, not individual states;
Promoting Democracy • There is a strong need for International Law and Practices to enable free and fair elections to be conducted; • Development of guidelines for the role and duties of the Opposition; • A guide on Parliament and democracy in the twenty‐first century is required.
Technical Cooperation Programme • Promoting human rights and protecting Members of Parliament; • Partnerships between men and women in politics; • Promoting knowledge of Parliament; • Guide on Parliament and democracy in the twenty‐first century.
International Assemblies need to be Encouraged • Promoting understanding and co‐operation between political representatives from other countries, example: British Irish Parliamentary Assembly; • Encourages peace and security between nations; • Supports sustainable development, finance and trade; • Need to foster specialist meetings around the world to create co‐operation.
Climate Change ‐ The Role of Parliamentarians in Influencing the Debate Speaker: Mr Colin Challen MP – Labor (retiring at the 2010 election)
Mr Challen stated a plateau in politics has been reached on the climate change debate. Due to errant mistakes, climate change sceptics have influenced the debate and politicians have not managed to convince the general public.
Copenhagen • Although many commitments were made, it is unlikely these commitments will reduce emissions; • The agreements are not legal and binding; • China and US have signed up to some form of climate change target by reducing their emissions by 4% which is actually less than what was committed to at Kyoto; • Emissions will be increasing over time with the resultant 4% reduction not making a dent in overall increased emissions; • The European Union’s targets are to reduce by 20% by 2020; • India has signed acknowledging the need, but no commitment; Page 30 of 38
• There needs to be an all inclusive system, from all countries for this to work; • No point in developed countries cutting emissions if others have no cap. All countries need the same cap, e.g. 2 billion per head no matter what country; • If there is not a united front, dirty industries will simply move to countries where no emissions cap or levies are in place.
MP’s Role in Climate Change: • Vital – to ensure transparency, accountability and legislation acts to issue; • UK has formed an All Parties Climate Change group which has been successful in discussing the issue and the role to play in legislation; • Corruption – MP’s need to ensure that global trading emissions are not open to corruption where funds can disappear into Swiss bank accounts; • Ensure money made from these programmes is spent on working towards climate change and not on other budgets; • “Zero Carbon” in Parliament. A building model has started in Bangladesh that invited other countries to join.
Questions asked from the floor • What has been done about educating the public?
Answer: Earth Day programmes and the use of music are vital to get people on board with the message. Politicians cannot be seen to say one thing and do anther. The Zero Carbon Parliament model would demonstrate to the general public how serious governments are. Developed countries should lead the way to encourage other countries.
• Seychelles – Small Island States have always abided by set targets, but unless the larger countries such as the United States act, their efforts are pointless. How can the Small Island States have a say in the discussions with the larger countries?
Answer: Many Small Island States need to pursue renewable energy. Firstly identify islands that will disappear and then assist them to make money. For example: assist to police their waters and charge for fishing rights. Once they can start making their own money they can plan for their future, so when their island disappears and they should have their own sovereign to support them to relocate.
• Montreal – We need to harness and sell solar and wind energy, we need to change the mindset of the general public, and what do you suggest?
Answer: Through the demands of waste tax, makes it very difficult to have waste. The farming of natural resources needs to be profitable so people will invest in wind and other natural power resources.
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The Global Financial Crisis Where is the world now? What role parliamentarians have in the oversight of financial regulation and holding the executive to account?
Speakers were not available, therefore an Open Floor Forum was held and Chaired by a fellow colleague, Monty Tadier from Jersey.
Issues raised and discussed where:
• The need to have real commitments from countries that form the United Nations. It seems that although delegates all agree at the time of their meetings, as soon as delegates return home, they fall back to old ways and do not take on board any of the guidelines suggested by the United Nations. This is a very dangerous routine to get into; • There seemed to be no GFC impact in fellow countries such as Uganda; • Chair asked for Australia’s view: • Mr John Mickel from Queensland addressed the forum to advise due to good banking regulations and export industries, Australia had not gone into recession, but had felt the impact of the world economic crises, but not at the same level as many others; • Hon Alyssa Hayden addressed the forum from the Western Australia’s point of view: Western Australia has a great mining industry and with the support of the State Government it has been able to continue its export growth that has sustained the industry and created jobs. It employs 1,000’s of people from across the entire country. The so‐called “Mining Boom” has seen put many people earn very high incomes, so any impacts felt by those families was small as it may have meant people have gone back to more realistic income levels. Western Australia is in fact supporting the rest of the nation with its Mining and Resources income and employment opportunities. • Kayee Griffin from News South Wales gave an overview of the Federal Government’s programmes to fight the impact of the economic downturn. Although Australia had not gone into recession, but gone into debt to launch these programmes and this will play a major role in the upcoming election. • Cayman Islands – the real issue was the large amount of debt that the everyday person is racking up on credit cards, mortgages etc. People were living beyond their means and this was the issue that needed to be addressed in their country. • Mauritius – Needed to look at why the economic crisis was not predicted, but if it was, why was there no action taken? Mauritius only has a human resource and it focuses on the needs of the people, education, food and housing. When the country saw the crisis coming it knew Africa was going to be important, so it opened air transport to all countries to encourage tourist from Africa and to create an industry of tourism and jobs. This initiative has been very successful.
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SUMMARY
I would firstly like to thank the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association of Western Australia for affording me this truly amazing experience that has provided me a thorough insight into the workings of the Westminster System. As a new Member of Parliament the information, experiences, contacts and friendships made has impacted tremendously in my role as a Member. It has proven a beneficial tool to enable me to perform in my role at a higher level.
I must also take this opportunity to thank the UK hosts, as the programme was filled with interesting topics and eloquent speakers. To be able to attend Parliament each day to participate in the conference was a very surreal experience and one that I will treasurer forever.
The location and standard of accommodation was excellent. Again, a personal thank you to both CPA teams in Perth and the UK.
As detailed in this report, there were many speakers ranging over a variety of topics, however the topic that stirred my Aussie spirit was the lack of attendance to vote. The UK is experiencing a drop in attendance to vote and is becoming fearful that the Government is being elected by less than 40% of the entire UK population.
The English appear to be a little hesitant to change, and considering many of their ways have been in practice for hundreds of years, one can understand why. My suggestion that UK evaluate the Australian compulsory attendance to vote system was just a little too difficult to consider at the time.
However, the UK is struggling to engage the general public and to stir interest. Although the Australian system is not perfect as there is a high number of informal votes, I believe legislating for compulsory voting, people will one day start to take notice. People will start to find it illogical to turn up to vote and not make their vote count. If this happens, people will take an interest and become involved resulting in the system gaining a voter. The current UK system does not give people a reason to be involved.
Although all Commonwealth countries are under a Westminster system, it was amazing to see how different all systems were. Even within Australia, the New South Wales Upper House is referred to as the Senate and Queensland has only one Chamber.
After listening to the many countries represented at the conference, the most important part of the Westminster system, in my opinion, is having the appropriate transparency and accountability regulations in place. Without this strict openness, no matter how a country tries to hold onto democracy, if corruption is within the Parliament, Governments will never have the trust of its people.
Earlier in the report I referred to the Industry and Parliamentary Trust programme. This UK initiative is one I would sincerely encourage to be introduced into our Parliament. This programme allows for an open system for Parliamentarians to learn about the business sector of our state and country. It can range from the small business owner through to the farmer, big business and the resource sector. It would allow Members to obtain information without fear or favour. A programme such as this could only enhance the quality of legislation.
I was very proud to represent Western Australia at this conference and more importantly, I was very proud of West Australian Parliamentary system.
...... Hon Alyssa Hayden MLC Member for the East Metropolitan Region
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EVENING FUNCTIONS AND EVENTS 10 Downing Street Wednesday 10 March 2010
Reception at 10 Downing Street, hosted by Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP, Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal; Minister for Women and Equality.
Appearing in the photo’s enjoying the event at 10 Downy Street:
• Hon Alyssa Hayden MLC from WA • The Speaker from QLD, John Mickel MLA • Mohammad Javid MPA from Pakistan • Paul Grant, Clerk Assistant in the Legislative Council in WA. • Badshah Saleh MPA from Pakistan • Filomena Rotiroti MNA from Quebec • John Barrett MP – one of the hosts • Monty Tadier MP from Jersey • The entire crew attending the CPA Conference
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SPEAKER’S HOUSE
Monday 15 March 2010 Guests of the Rt Hon John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons at the Speaker’s House.
Appearing in the photo’s enjoying the event at Speakers House: • Hon Alyssa Hayden MLC from WA • The Speaker of House of Commons • Wajid Ali Khan MPA from Pakistan • All Lady MP’s from around the World enjoying the CPA Conference: Pakistan, Australia, Quebec, Hong Kong, St Helena, Swaziland, and Jamaica.
WOMEN SPEAKING Page 36 of 38
THEIR MIND
MEN
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SHARING THEIR THOUGHTS
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