100 years of publishing 1920-2020 TheParliamentarian Journal of the Parliaments of the Commonwealth 2020 | Volume 101 | Issue Two | Price £14 SPECIAL REPORT: Commonwealth Parliaments respond to the COVID-19 global pandemic PAGES 104-123 PLUS Identifying benchmarks Combatting modern Parliamentary Empowering Youth of good governance slavery in the Oversight in Small Parliamentarians in & parliamentary Commonwealth States Tonga democracy PAGES 124-133 PAGES 138-144 PAGES 145-148 PAGES 154-157 IN TIMES LIKE THESE PARLIAMENTS NEED ALL THE Published 2020 RESOURCES THEY CAN GET! MODEL LAW FOR INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTS DOWNLOAD ESTABLISHING PARLIAMENTARY SERVICE COMMISSIONS FOR CPA’S NEW COMMONWEALTH LEGISLATURES PUBLICATION NOW www.cpahq.org/cpahq/modellaw www.cpahq.org THE CPA MODEL LAW FOR INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTS Based on the important values laid down in the Commonwealth Latimer House Principles and the Doctrine of the Separation of Powers, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) has created a MODEL LAW FOR INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTS. This draft legislation is aimed at Commonwealth Parliaments to use as a template to create financially and administratively independent institutions. Specifically, the Model Law enables Parliaments to create Parliamentary Service Commissions and to ensure Parliaments across the Commonwealth have the resources they need to function effectively without the risk of Executive interference. www.cpahq.org STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) exists to connect, develop, promote and support Parliamentarians and their staff to identify benchmarks of good governance, and implement the enduring values of the Commonwealth. Calendar of Forthcoming Events Updated as at 27 May 2020 Please note that due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) global pandemic many events, conferences and activities have been postponed or cancelled. Please check online or email [email protected] for the latest information. 2020 The following events have been postponed to a later date in the year (TBC): • Mid-Year meeting of the CPA Executive Committee, Assam, India • 49th CPA British Islands and Mediterranean Regional Conference, Valletta, Malta • Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Kigali, Rwanda including: Commonwealth Youth Forum; Commonwealth Women’s Forum; Commonwealth People’s Forum; and Commonwealth Business Forum • 51st CPA Africa Regional Conference, Abuja, Nigeria July The CPA Headquarters Secreatariat is awaiting an update on the following CPA Regional Conferences: • 10 to 18 July 2020 - 45th CPA Caribbean, Americas & Atlantic Regional Conference, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos • 20 to 23 July 2020 - CPA Pacific and Australia Region Presiding Officers and Clerks Conference (POCC), Fiji 2021 12 to 18 January 2021 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada The following event will not now take place in 2020 and has been postponed to 2021: • 58th CPA Canada Regional Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada The CPA calendar fosters the exchange of events and activities between CPA Regions and Branches. For further information on any events, please contact the CPA Branch concerned or the CPA Headquarters Secretariat. CPA Branch Secretaries are asked to send notices of CPA events to [email protected] in advance of the publication deadline to ensure the calendar is accurate. CPA Small Branches Climate Change Toolkit for Parliamentarians • Strengthening Parliamentarians as effective actors in the climate change agenda. • Accessible introduction to the key issues facing Legislatures at the frontline of climate change. • Practical guide for Parliamentarians to further progress at the domestic and international level. Visit www.cpahq.org/cpahq/SBclimatechange to download a copy or email [email protected] Updated February 2020 CONTENTS: THE PARLIAMENTARIAN 2020: ISSUE TWO PAGE 108 PAGE 102 The Parliamentarian: VIEWS & COMMENT NEWS & PHOTOS SPECIAL REPORT: Journal of the Parliaments of COMMONWEALTH the Commonwealth Editor’s Note CPA News PARLIAMENTS' Volume 101 Commonwealth Parliaments' News reports include: RESPONSES TO 2020: Issue Two respond to COVID-19 • Postponement of CHOGM COVID-19 The Parliamentarian Page 88 2020 due to COVID-19 ISSN 0031-2282 • CPA Vice-Chairperson’s visit COVID-19 (Coronavirus) View from the CPA to CPA Scotland and CPA UK pandemic and delivering Issued and published by Chairperson Branches parliamentary democracy: Toolkit launched by CPA the International Secretariat COVID-19 and its impacts • Caribbean Heads of st Page 104 of the Commonwealth on the Commonwealth Government attending 31 Parliamentary Association Parliamentary Association CARICOM Meeting in Barbados (CPA), CPA Headquarters • Cooperation between Pan-Commonwealth Page 90 collaboration to help fight Secretariat, Richmond Commonwealth Parliaments Coronavirus pandemic House, Houses of Parliament, View from the emphasised during Page 105 London, SW1A 0AA, United Commonwealth Women Cybersecurity Workshop Kingdom. Parliamentarians (CWP) • Overcoming trade barriers for CPA hosts two virtual panel discussions for Strategies taking place in small jurisdictions highlighted Tel: +44 (0) 20 7799 1460 at WTO parliamentary Clerks on CWP Africa Region to ensure delivery of democracy Email: [email protected] gender equality and women’s • Clerks from the CPA Africa during COVID-19 pandemic www.cpahq.org empowerment Region’s Society of Clerks-at- Page 106 Twitter @CPA_Secretariat Page 92 the-Table meet in Tanzania Facebook.com/CPAHQ • Malawi Parliamentarians visit Presiding Officers, View from the CPA Small Scottish and United Kingdom Parliamentarians and Mr Jarvis Matiya Parliaments Clerks gather for an Branches Chairperson online meeting on virtual CPA Acting Secretary- Examining how the latest Pages 99-102 parliamentary sittings General global pandemic is affecting Page 107 the Cook Islands, one of the Commonwealth Day Mr Jeffrey Hyland smallest jurisdictions in the Reports from CPA Branches on CPA joins virtual meeting with World Bank and the Editor, The Parliamentarian Commonwealth events held for Commonwealth [email protected] IMF to discuss economic Page 94 Day 2020 responses to COVID-19 Pages 158-163 Page 107 Main images: CPA View from the Acting CPA Headquarters Secretariat Secretary-General Commonwealth Women Implementing virtual and Shutterstock. Additional Delivering parliamentary Parliamentarians News sittings in the oldest continuous Parliament images: CPA Branches democracy during a global and Events and Members. Front cover in the world during the pandemic Reports from CWP activities COVID-19 pandemic image: Shutterstock/ Page 96 around the Commonwealth Page 108 Nito/1670949034. Pages 166-168 86 | The Parliamentarian | 2020: Issue Two | 100 years of publishing 1920-2020 100 years of publishing CONTENTS The Parliamentarian 1920-2020 PAGE 158 PAGE 154 SPECIAL REPORT: FEATURE ARTICLES CPA BENCHMARKS Annual subscription COMMONWEALTH (four issues) PARLIAMENTS' COVID-19, the CPA helps Parliaments UK: £44 inc. RESPONSES TO Commonwealth and to identify benchmarks postage.Worldwide: £46 COVID-19 road traffic injury of good governance surface post £52 A call for action on road safety CP4D and self-assessments airmail Page 134 Page 124 Digital innovation helps Jersey’s Parliament to sit Price per issue virtually Half of the world’s Reassessment UK: £14 Page 111 victims of slavery live in against the updated Worldwide: £15 surface post the Commonwealth CPA Benchmarks £16 airmail New Zealand Parliament: UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Case study: Australian Setting up the Epidemic Commissioner's view Capital Territory Disclaimer Response Committee to Page 138 Page 127 scrutinise the Executive’s Opinions and comments response to COVID-19 expressed in articles and Page 112 Ridding our world of Strategic Self reviews published in The modern slavery by 2030 Assessment Parliamentarian are those Responding to the COVID- A UK MP's view Case study: Pakistan of the individual contributors 19 pandemic: National Page 142 Page 132 and should not be attributed Assembly of Kenya to the Secretariat of the Page 115 Parliamentary Oversight Association. in Small States PARLIAMENTARY 'New pandemic, new REPORTS politics?' Inside the UK’s CPA and McGill University Contributors virtual Parliament with Page 145 Parliamentary Report Thank you to all contributors the Electoral Reform Featuring legislative reports for this issue. Society Parliamentary from Canada, Trinidad and Page 118 expressions & practices Tobago, United Kingdom, Printed in: United Kingdom First of a three-part series Life for a backbencher Sri Lanka, New Zealand, by Warners Midlands, PLC. in the UK's virtual Page 149 Australia and India Parliament Pages 169-191 Limited print run - contact Page 122 Empowering Youth [email protected] for Parliamentarians CPA DIRECTORY details and print copies. CYP10 participant's role at Tonga CPA Organisational Youth Parliament 2020 Structure Page 154-157 CPA Executive Committee Members, CWP and CPA Reflections on 25 years Small Branches Steering working with the CPA Committees and CPA Deputy Chief Executive CPA UK Regional Secretaries Page 164 Pages 192 The Parliamentarian | 2020: Issue Two | 100 years of publishing 1920-2020 | 87 EDITOR’S NOTE COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTS RESPOND TO THE COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC The Editor’s Note The first issue of The Parliamentarian in 2020 celebrated the to identify benchmarks of good governance and to implement the 100th anniversary of the first issue of the Journal of Commonwealth