Presiding Officers' Conference.

• Position: CPA Activities: The Canadian Scene

The Presiding Officers from Canada's federal, provincial and territorial legislatures held their annual conference February 2-5, 2012, in Alberta. The host was Speaker Ken Kowalski of Alberta.

Since the last Presiding Officers' Conference in Iqaluit, Nunavut on January 20-23, 2011, there are ten new Speakers, all of whom attended. They included:

* Jacques Chagnon (Quebec)

* Hunter Tootoo (Nunavut)

* Andrew Scheer (House of Commons)

* Daryl Reid (Manitoba)

* Jackie Jacobson (Northwest Territories)

* Ross Wiseman (Newfoundland and Labrador)

* Carolyn Bertram (Prince Edward Island)

* Dave Levac (Ontario)

* David Laxton (Yukon)

* Dan D'Autremont (Saskatchewan)

Other Speakers in attendance were Bill Barisoff (British Columbia), Dale Graham (New Brunswick), and Gordie Gosse (Nova Scotia).

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Following the Official Opening by Speaker Kowalski the Presiding Officers heard a presentation on Canadian-American Relations from David C. Jacobson, United States Ambassador to Canada. The first day also featured two sessions on "Jurisdiction Overviews". Each Speaker was allowed up to five minutes to report on recent procedural or administrative developments in his or her legislature.

Another session was entitled "Challenges Facing a New Speaker." It was chaired by Speaker Barisoff and the panel included Speakers Scheer, Gosse and D'Autrement.

A session on "Interparliamentary Associations and Activities" was chaired by Gary O'Brien, Clerk of the Senate. Speaker Graham spoke about the Commonwealth...