MEDIA RELEASE

9 December 2013

New Zealand to host Commonwealth Speakers conference

Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers – from Australia to Zambia – are coming to New Zealand in January for the 22nd Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC).

CSPOC will be held in Wellington at Parliament Buildings from 21-24 January 2014.

More than 50 Speakers of the Commonwealth will be attending, along with observers. Many bicameral or two-house parliaments are sending two representatives – the Speaker of their House of Representatives and the Presiding Officer of their Upper House.

“This is New Zealand on show to the world, not only our country but what our Parliament does and delivers for its people,” said the Speaker of the House, the Rt Hon David Carter, who is hosting the event.

“I look forward to welcoming my parliamentary peers from around the world,” he said. “Speakers have a unique role and this is a rare opportunity to hold in-depth discussions and learn from each other.”

The conference will open with a spectacular procession of Speakers wearing their national ceremonial robes, followed by a powhiri on Parliament’s forecourt, which is open to the public*.

All of the keynote addresses, except the final closing address, are also open to the public, so that people can see democracy in action.

This is the second time New Zealand has hosted this prestigious event; the first time was in 1984.

There will be no public tours of Parliament during the conference.

Ends

*The procession of Speakers and powhiri will be held on Wednesday 22 January in Parliament’s forecourt, starting at 9.00am.

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