A delegation of parliamentary staff from the Office of the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa (OCLA) traveled to Hobart, to take part in a weeklong attachment program to the Parliament of Tasmania.
The delegation included Deputy Clerk – Lesa Yonita Tuia, Clerk Assistant Chamber and Procedure – Tofilau Valasi Iosefa, Clerk Assistant Parliamentary Committees – Lemalu Ruta Masinalupe and Manager of Community Relations – Erosi Koria.
The program incorporated a visit to the various arms of the Tasmanian parliament, allowing the delegation to sit in and observe a session of the House of Assembly as well as the Legislative Council and observe meetings of Parliamentary Committees.
An extensive tour of the Education Department affirmed the importance of maintaining a clear path of communication between the Parliament and the community it serves.
This exchange is funded through the Pacific Parliamentary Partnerships Funds which represents commitment from Australia’s Federal and State and Territory Parliaments to support parliamentary strengthening in the Pacific region.
Twinning arrangements has been established between Australia and the Pacific Island parliaments.
The Parliament of Tasmania’s twin is the Parliament of Samoa.
The Twinning relationship between the Tasmanian and Samoan parliament was first established in 2007 as an initiative of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to foster and promote continued parliamentary development.
The OCLA has benefited greatly from the Twining program over the years with educational training programs as well as staff exchanges which have boosted worker productivity and efficiency.
