New Speaker  in Saskatchewan

On March 20, 2001, Myron Kowalsky, Member for Prince Albert Carlton, was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.

Speaker Kowalsky was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan.  He received his high school education at North Battleford Collegiate and Nutana Collegiate in Saskatoon. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree, a Bachelor of Education Degree with distinction and a Post Graduate Diploma in Curriculum Studies from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.

Mr. Kowalsky began teaching in 1961.  He taught at Quill Lake High School, Unity Composite School, Riverside Collegiate in Prince Albert and at Carlton Comprehensive High School in Prince Albert.  During his teaching career Mr. Kowalsky was active with the Unity and Prince Albert Lions Club and the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation at both the local and provincial level.  He also spent time in Gambia on “Project Overseas”, aimed at strengthening professional skills of teachers.  This project was jointly sponsored by the Canadian Teachers’ Federation and the Canadian International Development Agency.

Throughout his professional carrier, Speaker Kowalsky remained interested in agriculture, assisting in the operation of his family’s farm(s), being employed as a crop hail adjuster and in home construction. He served on the Wapiti Regional Library Board and the John M. Cuelenaere Library Board.  Speaker Kowalsky is keenly interested in and is an advocate for the fine arts, with a special interest in drama and dance. He also enjoys cross-country skiing.

Speaker Kowalsky was first elected to the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly in 1986 and re-elected in 1991, 1995 and 1999.  He has served as Government Whip and on various committees. Most recently he chaired the Special Committee on Tobacco Control.

New Chairman of Canadian Branch of CPA

At the 2001 annual general meeting of the Canadian Branch of CPA,  Sue Barnes was elected as Chair of the Canadian Branch replacing Sarmite Bulte who continues as a Regional Representative to CPA’s international executive.

Born in Malta, Ms Barnes grew up in Ontario and Northern Quebec and has resided in London, Ontario since 1974.  A graduate of the University of Western Ontario’s Law School she was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1979 and worked as a lawyer until her election to the House of Commons in 1993.

She has served as Chair of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development from 1999-2000, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of National Revenue from 1996-1998 and Chair of the Ontario Liberal Caucus from 1995-1996.

She has frequently participated in activities of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Ms. Barnes is currently a member of the Advisory Committee of the Youth Action Centre in London and a member of the Orchestra Advisory Board.  She has served on a number of other community associations including the Girl Guides of London, the Board of Directors of the University of Western Ontario Alumni Association, the Brain Tumor Foundation of Canada, and the Advisory Board of the Canadian National Institute of the Blind.

Regional Council Meeting

The annual meeting of the Canadian Regional Council of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association was held in Ottawa on Saturday, June 2, 2001. All provinces and territories except Nunavut and Yukon sent representatives.

The Council adopted the budget for 2001-2002 and reviewed programs undertaken during the last year and proposed for the future including the 2004 CPA conference that will be held in Canada. The Council approved the venue for the following regional conferences: New Brunswick (2002), British Columbia (2003), Newfoundland (2005) and Ottawa (2006). Future regional seminars will take place in Saskatchewan (2001), Quebec (2002), Nunavut (2003), Prince Edward Island (2005) and British Columbia (2006).

The Council approved a proposal by the Centre for Legislative Exchange to organize a visit to Washington D.C. and Annapolis, MD to explore the concept of e-governance. The objectives of the visit would be to compare the on-line operations of state and provincial or territorial governments and to discuss issues of concern regarding on-line policies and legislation such as privacy as well as the use of new technologies to further citizen engagement.

2001 Regional Conference

The 40th Canadian Regional Conference will be held in Edmonton, Alberta from July 17 to 22, 2001. The theme of the conference is The Future of Canadian Parliamentary Democracy. Among the business sessions are the following:

• Future Challenges to Parliamentary Privilege
• Impact of Globalization on Federal and Provincial Governments
• Impact of Demographics on Services/Voting Trends
• Future of Electoral Systems
• e-gov: How Legislatures and Governments Inform Citizens
• Citizens and Their Representatives
• The Virtual Assembly
• The Informed Member: The Knowledge Base for Members

In addition, social activities have been coordinated to ensure that delegates will be able to experience summer events and local attractions unique to Edmonton. It is expected that some 100 members from the 14 branches of the Canadian Region will attend.