Visit of the Honourable Francis Scarpaleggia, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons, and a parliamentary delegation, Republic of Tunisia

 

From May 10 to 12, 2026, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Honourable Francis Scarpaleggia, M.P., led a parliamentary delegation to the Republic of Tunisia. The delegation was composed of Yves Perron, M.P., Larry Brock, M.P., and Eric St-Pierre, M.P. It was accompanied by Gweneth Thirlwell, Senior Advisor, Office of the Speaker of the House of Commons, and David-Andrés Novoa, Parliamentary Exchanges Officer.

The delegation met with:

• Brahim Bouderbala, President of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People;
• Imed Derbali, President of the National Council of Regions and Districts;
• Syrine Mrabet, Coordinator of the Tunisia–Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group, and other members of the group;
• Members of the Parliamentary Cooperation Group with the countries of the American continent;
• Representatives of Tunisian civil society.

The visit to the Republic of Tunisia followed an invitation from the President of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People, Brahim Bouderbala. Its objective was to gain a better understanding of Tunisia’s parliamentary transition following the adoption of the new Constitution in 2022, as well as to examine the lessons learned and best practices arising from this constitutional transition. The visit also aimed to strengthen interparliamentary ties and bilateral relations in an increasingly multipolar international context, in parallel with Canada’s new diplomatic approach to diversifying its international partnerships.

The visit also provided an opportunity to gain a better understanding of issues related to the Tunisian diaspora in Canada, particularly with respect to foreign credentials and social security benefits. It also helped identify areas in which Canada and Tunisia could deepen their cooperation, particularly in trade, air transportation, clean technologies and the environment.

The report will be available once it has been tabled in the House of Commons.