Delegation Attending Sri Lanka Conference
The 58th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Plenary Conference will be hosted by the CPA Sri Lanka Branch in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and the CPA Bermuda Branch Delegation to the 2012 Plenary Conference will include Delegation Leader Stanley Lowe [PLP], CWP Caribbean Region Representative Lovitta Foggo [PLP], Dennis Lister [PLP], Donte Hunt [OBA] – Delegate and Delegation Secretary Clark Somner.
A statement issued said: “The over-arching theme of the 58th Plenary is “Ensuring a Relevant Commonwealth for the Future”. There will be several workshops on a wide variety of topics, and the Bermuda Delegation will be active participants in the 32nd CPA Small Branches Conference, which will be conducted on 9th – 10th September 2012; as well as Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Group meetings at which Ms. Foggo will be representing the Caribbean Region; Regional CPA Group meetings and meetings of the Society of Parliamentary Clerks at which Mr. Somner will participate; in addition to the main Plenary meetings.
“The topics for discussion at the various sessions at the 58th Plenary are as shown on the attached listing [PDF] from CPA Headquarters. On the lighter side various receptions, dinners and tours for the Conference participants will be hosted by the Sri Lanka Branch.”
…that in this economic time there is still jollies to be had and that Bermuda will benefit from sending these people to Sri Lanka for an all expenses paid boondoggle.
Sri Lankan President has been refusing to publish 15 reports of CoIs/Commissions he appointed in the last six years:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/85007346/A-List-of-Commissions-of-Inquiry-and-Committees-Appointed-by-the-Government-of-Sri-Lanka-2006-%E2%80%93-2012
That’s the history of successive governments of Sri Lanka:
Successive Sri Lankan governments have been doing the same for decades:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA37/005/2009/en
Will the C’wealth Conference press Sri Lanka to release the reports
Isn’t it terrorism of the state to ”appoint commissions” to ward off international scrutiny till it passes on to other crises the world is not short of
Just can’t resist a party on someone else’s dime can they?
You know, you’d have a better chance of “Ensuring a Relevant Commonwealth for the Future” if you stopped pissing away the money today.
Half way around the world, for what exactly?
Another nice junket that will cost into the hundreds of thousands.
OBA, are you taking notes?
Hundreds of thousands?? Really?? Let’s not stretch the truth here.
Don’t you see that the OBA (Donte Hunt) will be going on the trip too? Or are you just Political Party blind?
For junkets like this I am political party blind. Hmmmm, count em. At least six of them. Take a look to see where Sri Lanka is. At least business class tickets, hotels (nothing but the best for Bermudians), food (again nothing but the best), daily incidentals & so on. Yes sir, those dollars add up quick.
I hope they plan to address the plethora of war crime / human right violations and various other atrocities initiated at the hands of their host, the Sri Lankan government against the Tamils in the North and East of the country even after the civil war ended under the planned workshops B and G !
See the links: http://www.hrw.org/asia/sri-lanka
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17353223
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17471300
Fu?> you hmmmmm. you haven’t a clue
Go Donte go lol time to get paid mate. Get your free trips in. More to come after the OBA wins the next election.
Unbelieveable.
Pamplin is usually on these trips. Fancy she let Hunte get a trip. Must be an election looming.
This has no importance to Bermuda. Save your money. Isn’t Mr Lowe retiring, why would he be going? What a waist of time, energy and money.
Lowe, is being rewarded for his tenure as the speaker of the house,and that is the truth……why the hell do we tax payers have to pay for these lot to go to Sri lanka ? what the hell benifit will this trip help Bermuda ?
We, the taxpayers, are not paying them to go. If you scroll down you’ll see the links in my earlier post detailing how the trip itself is refunded and hotels, transport and food are provided by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
Pamplin went to Panama last week on a conference…….Stanley Lowe is retired or retiring so why would he go…all the Listers sit quietly on the back bench….Lovita Foggo? she will be out of politics in a few months….dont even know who Donte Hunt is…..the point is that this is just another in a long line of useless trips while people are sitting in the dark with out the ability to pay their Belco bill…..send one person if you must but 5? not end to the gouging and waste of the peoples money……
The Commonwealth covers the cost of hotels and ground transportation, as well as refunds the plane tickets (by the most economical route).
See – https://cpc2012.parliament.lk/docs/cpc_2012_information_circular.pdf
And – http://www.cpahq.org/cpahq/Mem/Annual_Conference/Sri_Lanka/Refund_Policy.aspx