Participation of the Honourable Peter Milliken, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons, to the Fourth Meeting of the G8 Speakers' Conference, Glasgow, Scotland

From September 16 to 18, 2005, the Speaker of the House of Commons attended the Fourth Meeting of the G8 Speakers’ Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, hosted by the Right Honourable Michael J. Martin, Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. This Conference is an annual gathering between presiding officers and parliaments of the G8 countries and is a unique forum for the exchange of ideas about governing in representational democracies. This meeting is one of the few where the heads of legislatures and parliaments can meet to discuss important issues related to their respective parliaments. This year’s discussions focused mainly on the support for emerging Parliaments and for parliamentary democracy, as well as how Parliaments can reconcile the need for security with pressure for increased public access.