Speaker appointed acting Chair of small parliaments' group

4 March 2021 | Canberra, Australia | Feature

Speaker of the Assembly, Joy Burch MLA, has been appointed acting chair of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Small Branches network.

Previously the network’s vice-chair, Ms Burch takes on this significant role in addition to her responsibilities as member for Brindabella and Speaker. She is undaunted, saying “it is an honour to have the opportunity to steer our network until a new chair is elected”.

The appointment comes after the resignation earlier this month of Hon. Niki Rattle from the role, coinciding with her departure as Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands.

Ms Burch acknowledged the dedication Ms Rattle bought to her work with the network. “Niki’s wise counsel and good humour will be a real loss for our group,” she said, adding her appreciation for Ms Rattle’s “dedication to empowering female members of parliament across the world”. Ms Burch also reflected on her friendship with Ms Rattle, saying it was “grounded in the special connection we share having both worked as registered nurses before entering politics”.

As acting chair, Ms Burch also joins the CPA Coordinating Committee. She will serve in this role until the network elects a new chair at its next conference.

What is the Small Branches network?

The Small Branches network, a group of 43 of the world’s smallest national-and state-level parliaments, harnesses the collective power of small legislatures to tackle big problems. The group also supports new, often small, parliaments to develop strong, resilient democratic processes.

Established in 1981, the group is celebrating its 40^th anniversary this year.

• Click here to find out more about the CPA Small Branches Network [external link].
• Click here to read more about the Assembly's inter-parliamentary relations.

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