International Program News
European Parliament delegation visits Australia
A delegation of Members of the European Parliament recently visited Australia to learn of Australian practice and build relationships with their Australian parliamentary counterparts.
Tongan Speaker’s study visit a sound investment
While in Australia recently new Tongan Speaker, Lord Fakafanua, the youngest presiding officer in the world, investigated many aspects of parliamentary technology including the Australian Parliament’s sound and vision systems.
Samoan parliamentary manual launched
The Samoan Legislative Assembly has launched its first ever parliamentary practice and procedure manual as Samoa celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence.
Myanmar Speaker seeks closer ties with Australia
Speaker of the Myanmar parliament’s upper house (the Pyidangsu Hluttaw or House of Nationalities) has called for closer cooperation between the Australian and Myanmar parliaments during his first ever visit to Australia.
Australian senators scrutinise Georgian elections
Two Australian senators were part of an international team of election observers to the recent parliamentary elections in Georgia which unseated the incumbent government of President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Historic Myanmar parliamentary visit to Australia
The Speaker of Myanmar’s House of Representatives (the Pyithu Hluttaw), Thura U Shwe Mann, has led an historic visit to Australia – the first by a parliamentary delegation from Myanmar.
Public accounts cooperation with Indonesia
The Australian parliament’s Public Accounts and Audit Committee is assisting its newly established counterpart in the Indonesian parliament develop the skills needed to effectively scrutinise government expenditure.
Pacific parliaments set priorities for community engagement
Eleven parliaments from the Pacific region have agreed on priority actions to better engage with their communities and constituents in a bid to strengthen democracy in their countries.
Italian connections encouraged
At a time when Mandarin has overtaken Italian as the second most spoken language in Australian homes, a delegation from Italy has visited Australia to boost parliamentary ties and reaffirm community links.
Multiculturalism impresses visiting Sheikh
The Chairman of the Iraq Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Sheikh Humam Baqir Hammoodi, has commented favourably on the strength of Australia’s multicultural society following a visit to Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Perth in May.
Australian parliament supports Myanmar needs assessment
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is urging the international community to ensure it provides the necessary support to the country in its transition to parliamentary democracy after 50 years without a representative legislative body.
ASEAN encourages Australia to get personal
Building trade and people-to-people links between the Association of South East Asian Nations and Australia was the focus of ASEAN delegation which recently visited the Parliament of Australia.
Global parliamentary report released
A report that examines the relationship between citizens and parliaments has been released by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the global association for parliaments to which 162 parliaments currently belong.
Reaching out for community connection
The Australian Parliament recently hosted a community outreach workshop for Pacific Parliaments to assist with developing new strategies, media skills and sharing ideas on how to engage their communities with the work of their parliaments.
Solomon Islands heritage find
Parliamentarians from the Solomon Islands have viewed a rare collection of Solomon Islands artefacts during a recent visit to Australia.
Australian election observers praise Timor-Leste poll
Two Australian parliamentarians have no doubt that the recent presidential election in Timor-Leste were free and fair after being invited by the fledgling democracy to act as election observers.