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Speaker Heads CI Team at CPA Regional Meet
A five-member team is representing the Cayman Islands at the ongoing 44th annual conference of the Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic (CAA) Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Speaker, Hon. McKeeva Bush, OBE, JP leads the team which comprises Minister of Financial Services and Home Affairs, Hon. Tara Rivers, JP; Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Arden McLean, JP; Opposition MLAs Mr. Kenneth Bryan and Mr. Christopher Saunders.
The Speaker, who is the Immediate Past Chair of the CAA Regional Executive Committee and now the CAA representative on the CPA’s Small Branches Steering Committee, also attended executive meetings. The conference is underway at Port of Spain from 12 to 19 July 2019. Plenary sessions are underway from 15-17July.
Minister Rivers is attending as a delegate and participated in the 12th Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Conference from 13-14 July.
Representing the Cayman Islands in plenary sessions are Opposition Leader McLean on the topic “Migrants and Refugees: Is there a need for a collective regional response?” and MLA Bryan on the topic “Digital Disinformation: The challenges to Parliaments and Democracy”. MLA Saunders is attending the conference as an observer.
Other topics for presentations include “Human Rights: Are our Parliaments fully accessible to persons with disabilities?”, “Forging a Caribbean Identity: How relevant are the Westminster traditions in a modern Parliament?” and “Rethinking the Westminster Model of Governance: The need for a fundamental shift.”
The CPA regional conference also includes the 15th Regional Youth Parliamentary where two students, Leah Robinson and Reon Porter, will represent the Cayman Islands in the debates. For more, see http://bit.ly/32vmazu.
Mr. Bush also spoke at a CPA Roadshow where he addressed a packed audience of young people, from high schools, colleges and youth organisations at city hall in Port of Spain. He shared with them his experiences as an Elected Member, Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Premier and now Speaker.
CPA Secretary General Mr. Akbar Khan, who welcomed the participants, began the CPA Roadshows initiative in 2016, with the first one held on Grand Cayman at the Town Hall in George Town.
