New Zealand celebrates Commonwealth Day

10 March 2014

Commonwealth Day will be celebrated on 10 March 2014 and two young New Zealanders, Tehnuka Ilanko, a PhD student at Cambridge University, and Tredegar Hall, a Master’s degree graduate from Waikato University, will be representing New Zealand at this year’s celebration in London.

The theme of this year’s Commonwealth Day is “Team Commonwealth”. The one day programme will include a debate promoting the ideals of both the Commonwealth and parliamentary democracy. This session will give participants practical experience of parliamentary debates. The day also includes attendance at the Observance at Westminster Abbey, at which Her Majesty The Queen as Head of the Commonwealth and all Commonwealth High Commissioners in London will be present, and attendance at the Commonwealth Secretary-General’s evening reception.

The Speaker of the House, The Rt Hon David Carter, said that he was delighted that New Zealand was to be represented on the day in London by Tredegar and Tehnuka.

“Commonwealth Day provides an important opportunity to reflect on our Commonwealth parliamentary community and to enhance cooperation between its members.”

The organiser of the programme, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, is an international community of parliaments and legislatures working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to democratic governance.

2014 has been an exciting year in terms of New Zealand’s engagement with Commonwealth parliaments. New Zealand hosted the 22nd Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth in Wellington this January, which was attended by over 50 Speakers and other observers from around the Commonwealth.

ENDS

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