Building Connections and Sharing Best Practices: Parliamentary Service Organizations
Parliaments do not operate as silos. Parliamentarians are keenly aware of debates occurring among their colleagues across the country and internationally. Legislation adopted in one jurisdiction is often studied and consulted when another parliament is considering a similar issue. And, every year, parliamentarians attend meetings and conferences, such as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s gatherings, to meet their counterparts, discuss their roles and systems of governance, and forge important networks to exchange information. Many parliamentary service staff have developed their own organizations for similar reasons. In this roundtable, the Canadian Parliamentary Review invited representatives of some of these groups to discuss the work their membership does and how their membership benefits from participating in groups that facilitate networking and information sharing.
Participants: Gerry Burla, Andrew Henry, Deanna Wilson, and Bruce C. Young