The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) has held an Advanced Professional Development and Skills-Building Residency Programme for MPs, hosted by the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 22 to 26 June 2026.

Over 30 Parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth attended the CPA programme, which focused on strategic leadership, working across difference and complexity, communications and public engagement. This Residency Programme is an extension of the CPA Parliamentary Academy, the CPA’s portfolio of online courses specifically designed for Parliamentarians and parliamentary officials.

The CPA Residency Programme was hosted in Darwin, Australia and was attended by MPs from Commonwealth jurisdictions including Bougainville (Papua New Guinea); Eastern Cape (South Africa); Eswatini; Kiribati; Maldives; Manitoba (Canada); Northern Territory (Australia); Pakistan; Plateau State (Nigeria); Punjab (Pakistan); Saint Lucia; Samoa; Sri Lanka; Tasmania (Australia); Trinidad and Tobago and Vanuatu. A delegate also attended from the Parliament of Somalia. 

The Speaker of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, Hon. Robyn Lambley, MLA opened the residency.

Participants were mentored throughout the programme by current and alumni Parliamentarians and experts from across the Commonwealth including: 

• Hon. Lenora Salusalu Qereqeretabua, MP, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Fiji
• Hon. Jonathan O’Dea, former Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
• Hon. Poto Williams, former Member of Parliament, New Zealand 
• Hon. Robyn Lambley, MLA, Speaker of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, Australia
• Russell Keith, Clerk and Chief Executive Officer, Northern Territory, Australia
• Kate Faragher, Bespoke Consulting. 

Participants identified practical solutions to the challenges that they face in their jurisdictions and honed their skills at a higher level through sessions on topics such as cultural intelligence, standards and ethics, consensus building and social media. 

On the final day, participants took part in a practical exercise. They were divided into Parliamentary caucuses to run a campaign consisting of TV and radio interviews, a Parliamentary speech and a meeting with a Minister. 

The event was facilitated by a team from CPA Headquarters, which consisted of Catherine Turner, Head of Programmes; Jael Dharamsingh, CPA Parliamentary Academy Manager; Avni Kondhia, Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Coordinator and Marshall Tisdale, CPA Small Branches Coordinator. 

Since the launch of the CPA Parliamentary Academy in 2021 there have been nine Residency courses for Parliamentarians, hosted by Trinidad and Tobago, New Zealand, Malta, New South Wales (Australia), Western Cape (South Africa), Alberta (Canada), Scotland, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. The Sri Lanka and New Zealand Residencies were the first aimed solely at Parliamentary Clerks.

For further information about the CPA Parliamentary Academy courses please email hq.sec@cpahq.org or visit the CPA website. 

-ENDS- 

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is an international community of 180 Parliaments and Legislatures working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to the highest standards of democratic governance. 

Founded in 1911, the CPA brings together Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff to identify benchmarks of good governance and implement the enduring values of the Commonwealth. It offers a vast opportunity for Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff to collaborate on issues of mutual interest and to share good practice.