Parliament and the people: the reality and the public perception.

by Philip Laundy, published by Ashgate Publishing Company, 1997.

From February 24 to 27 1995 the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, in association with Wilton Park, the conference organisers, sponsored a conference on the theme Parliament and the People: Making Democratic Institutions more Representative, Responsible and Relevant. Philip Laundy has summarised the papers presented at the conference along with the discussions that ensued into a relatively short but handy reference work.

The book comprises eleven chapters which essentially parallel the themes of the presentations; each chapter giving a summary of what the presenter or presenters had to say. Within each chapter the author has captured the essence of the discussion that followed each presentation and has interspersed throughout the text his own incisive observations. He has presented conclusions at the end of each chapter as well as a concluding chapter to summarise the results.

There are four appendices included in the book, two of which are quite substantial. Both directly relate to one chapter; one is a British report on standards in public life, and the other is a Canadian committee report on the registration of lobbyists.

The book is a handy reference tool for parliamentarians and those connected with parliaments to learn more of the problems associated with parliamentary democracies, particularly the perception that the public has of parliaments and parliamentarians. For those wishing to understand the importance of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association the chapter on "Enhancing Professionalism through the Work of Parliamentary Associations" gives an excellent description of its role.

Chapter six: "Ensuring Ethical Standards in Public Life" goes to the very heart of the overall theme of the conference. The presenter was a member of the Nolan Committee set up by the British Prime Minister in 1994, and their first report was published after the conference in May of 1995. (The full text is included in Appendix 1.) A code of conduct was one of the main items of discussion. It is interesting to note that the report of the Joint Committee of the Canadian Parliament on a code of conduct has not yet been implemented.

The chapter on "The Role of Political Parties" has an interesting presentation and discussion on the control that parties and the leadership have on the members in their legislatures. It basically contrasts the British parliamentary system with the...