68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference
41st CPA Small Branches Conference

CPA Small Branches Workshop B: Public Accounts Committees - Roles, Challenges and Solutions

About the Workshop

CPA Small Branches Workshop B: Public Accounts Committees - Roles, Challenges and Solutions

How can smaller Parliaments support, strengthen and reinvigorate their Public Accounts Committees?

Across the Commonwealth, Public Accounts Committees (PACs) are the 'final stop' in the accountability cycle, scrutinising government expenditure after the fact to ensure it is spent legally, efficiently and in line with parliamentary approval.

For small jurisdictions, this function is especially vital but equally challenging, with limited resources, small pools of Members and heightened political dynamics.

This workshop will explore practical strategies to make Public Accounts Committees more effective, drawing on international benchmarks, Commonwealth case studies and tailored solutions for small Legislatures.

The discussion will focus on clarifying the Public Accounts Committee’s mandate, strengthening its partnership with the Auditor-General, embedding effective follow-up systems and exploring innovations such as Lay Members, technology enablers and regional peer support.

Financial expert, Geoff Dubrow will provide practical insights from two decades of advising Public Accounts Committees and Legislatures globally, equipping delegates with actionable tools to strengthen financial oversight in their own jurisdictions.

Panellists

CPA Small Branches Workshop B: Public Accounts Committees: Roles, Challenges and Solutions
Hon. L Craig Cannonier, JP, MP (Bermuda)

Hon. L Craig Cannonier, JP, MP is a Member of the Parliament of Bermuda where he is the Opposition Whip and Shadow Minister of Public Works & Environment

Hon. Craig Cannonier was born and raised in St David’s and was educated at St George's Preparatory school and the Bermuda Institute. After obtaining his high school diploma, he attained a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Psychology from Towson State University in 1986.

Shortly after graduating from university, he acquired retail management experience in a number of different areas. He began his career at the MarketPlace Group where his responsibilities entailed human resources, training and purchasing. He also served as the General Manager of People's Pharmacy for ten years during which time he helped the pharmacy become one of the Island’s premier independently owned pharmacy.

Prior to beginning his association with Esso Bermuda, he served as a Relationship Manager for Cable & Wireless. Craig Cannonier currently runs Esso City Tigermarket, Collector’s Hill Esso and Warwick Esso.

Craig’s hobbies include sports, travelling, boating, as well as tackling various DIY projects around the house.

Geoff Dubrow, Financial Expert

Geoff Dubrow, MA, MPA, LSSBB, LSSGB, is a Canadian national and Public Financial Management (PFM) expert with over 20 years’ experience working with parliaments to strengthen their oversight role throughout the entire budget cycle. His focus spans maximizing parliamentary input during the budget formulation phase, supporting robust scrutiny during the approval phase and ensuring effective ex-post oversight, particularly through reinforcing the relationship between Public Accounts Committees (PACs) and Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs). His work also includes recommending legislative and procedural reforms to strengthen Parliament’s role in the budget cycle.

Geoff brings significant experience working with small island states, most notably in the Caribbean and the Asia-Pacific region. He has delivered training and advisory support in Barbados, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana, focusing on parliamentary oversight, debt transparency and strengthening the PAC–SAI relationship. He also conducted assessments of debt management capacity in St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominica as part of a regional initiative supported by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB). In 2012, he chaired a regional workshop in Antigua and Barbuda and authored the resulting roadmap on strengthening parliamentary oversight in the Caribbean, outlining key reforms to enhance PAC effectiveness, audit independence and legislative scrutiny.

Geoff is also recognised for his contributions to public debt oversight and gender-responsive budgeting. He has authored a wide range of policy briefs, manuals and e-courses. Clients include the World Bank, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), United Nations agencies, and numerous national Legislatures.

Workshop Resources

CPA Small Branches Workshop B: Accelerating Digital Innovation for Resilience and Growth in Small Jurisdictions

Feedback form

Please complete the form below following your attendance at this workshop
Please read the CPA's Privacy Policy and Data Protection information here. https://www.cpahq.org/privacy-policy/