The deputy speaker of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) House of Assembly Josephine Connolly has completed a study visit to Tynwald.
The visit comes after the Speaker of the House of Keys, Steve Rodan SHK, led a two-day parliamentary good governance seminar in the territory earlier this year following the formation of the TCI’s new constitution in October 2012.
Accompanied by the Clerk to the TCI House of Assembly Tracey Parker Mrs Connolly attended a programme arranged by the Clerk of Tynwald’s Office that included observing the swearing-in ceremony of four newly elected members of the Legislative Council and attending a sitting of Tynwald Court. Opportunities were provided to meet with the presiding officers, attend a private meeting of a select committee, spend time with the Tynwald information service team and also to witness Tynwald’s world-class voice recognition technology.
Mrs Connolly said: ‘The study visit has been very useful. The insight into the workings of Tynwald and its administrative and legislative procedures will most certainly assist me in carrying out my role as deputy speaker. Of particular interest was learning about the Hansard voice recognition system and the electronic voting operation, facilities I would hope we might be able to introduce some time in the future.
‘Clerk of Tynwald Roger Phillips and his team have been most helpful and it is comforting to know that if at any time we should have a question about parliamentary procedure an email to the Clerk of Tynwald’s Office will provide the answer.’
Mrs Parker added: ‘I found the Legislative Council operation, in particular the valuable scrutiny function it performs, and the select committee procedures especially interesting. Additionally the level of detail in briefings provided by the Clerk of Tynwald to the presiding officers would be something I would hope to develop for the House of Assembly. We are also in the process of building a website, so the time spent with the Tynwald information service was very useful.’
Mrs Parker added that she would not only remember her visit to the Isle of Man for providing her first opportunity, while assisting the Clerk of Tynwald, to wear a clerk’s wig and robe, but also for her first experience of snow as the study visit had coincided with heavy snowfall across the Island. She concluded: ‘Visiting the oldest continuous parliament in the world has been an honour.’
Mrs Connolly observed: ‘Coming to the Isle of Man has been a positive experience for us. When developing new procedures and proposing changes to the constitution you have to be comfortable with the people with whom you are working. At Tynwald we have felt extremely comfortable learning from all those whom we have met.
‘It doesn’t matter whether you’re from a large or a small jurisdiction. We all face similar challenges and problems, so it has been extremely valuable to be able to share experiences and views with our Tynwald counterparts. I would liken the relationship we are building between the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Isle of Man to “a good marriage” and long may it last.’
Mr Rodan said: ‘I am pleased that the deputy speaker and Mrs Parker found their study visit informative. This occasion was yet another demonstration of the value of being a member of the Commonwealth “family”. I hope there will be further opportunities for Tynwald to offer support to Mrs Connolly and her fellow officers in the process of establishing good parliamentary governance and to deepen the relationship between the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Isle of Man.’
Photo - Deputy speaker of the TCI House of Assembly Josephine Connolly, second left and clerk to the TCI House of Assembly Tracey Parker are pictured holding their certificates of attendance with Speaker of the House of Keys Steve Rodan SHK, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Isle of Man branch chairman Juan Watterson MHK and Clerk of Tynwald Roger Phillips. (Picture: Paul Dougherty, Tynwald Seneschal).
