Parliamentary Conversations in the Commonwealth

What causes social bias in AI – and how can Parliaments counter it?

As AI is adopted across the world, prejudices and biases – sexism, racism, classism – are reproduced in its outputs. What causes these biases, and how can Parliamentarians counter them? To find out, we spoke to Norul Mohamed Rashid, Policy Advisor at UN Women and Dr Claudia Abreu Lopes, Policy Research Lead at the United Nations University. 

They discussed how content moderation, unequal access to technology and concentration of power could lead to some of these biases, and how citizens and parliamentarians can fight back. 

This episode was recorded by Oz Russell, CPA Communications Officer, at the Kuala Lumpur Conference on the Role of Parliaments in responsible AI in December 2025. The conference was organised jointly by CPA, IPU, UNDP, and the Parliament of Malaysia. 

Music: Vine Crawler by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)  

Is Artificial Intelligence a threat to democracy?

As AI is adopted across the globe, we're already seeing some of the negative effects that this is having on democracy, from deepfakes to climate issues to the concentration of corporate power. In this episode, we spoke with Supheakmungkol Sarin, co-founder of AI Safety Asia and Michael Bąk, Head of Policy at AI Safety Asia.

They discussed how capacity building in AI differs from other forms of technology, how Parliamentarians should always make AI policy in consultation with civil society, and how different systems of knowledge could influence the development of responsible AI across the globe.

Music: Vine Crawler by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)  

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This episode was recorded by Oz Russell, CPA Communications Officer, at the Kuala Lumpur Conference on the Role of Parliaments in responsible AI in December 2025. The conference was organised jointly by CPA, IPU, UNDP, and the Parliament of Malaysia.

This episode of ‘Parliamentary Conversations in the Commonwealth’, the CPA’s Podcast, was made in association with ‘Human Coined’, a Podcast series hosted by Geoff Dubrow, Founder and Principal Consultant at Nexus PFM Consulting Inc., a consulting firm specialising in horizontal approaches to policy issues, bringing together Parliaments, Ministries of finance, civil society organisations and others.  

(https://nexuspfm.com/podcast/) 

How can governments ensure that their public projects are good value for money, that spending is economic and efficient and that the public know where their money is going?  

In this episode, Geoff Dubrow examines the role of Public Accounts Committees in the Commonwealth’s smallest jurisdictions. He spoke with Hon. Juan Watterson, who has served as Speaker of the Tynwald House of Keys and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee in the Isle of Man since 2016 and they discussed the unique setup of the Isle of Man Public Accounts Committee, the challenges of running Committees in a small jurisdiction and the increasing complexity of the work of PACs. 

Music: Vine Crawler by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)  

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Recorded in August 2025. 

In this episode, we’re joined by Hon. Mmabatho Tembe, Deputy Speaker of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature and one of the youngest to ever hold the role. Her story charts a compelling rise – from community organising and council chambers to presiding over legislative proceedings in one of South Africa’s most dynamic provinces. As a young woman navigating political power, public service and institutional change, Hon. Tembe shares insights on leadership that’s grounded, forward-looking and inclusive. This conversation dives into the evolving face of democracy in South Africa, and what it takes to lead with both conviction and care. 

Hon. Mmabatho Tembe was speaking with Miral Pankhania, Communications and Office Administrator at the CPA Secretariat during the CWP Workshop in the Bahamas.

Music: Vine Crawler by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

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https://www.cpahq.org/knowledge-centre/podcast/ 

Recorded in May 2025.

This episode of ‘Parliamentary Conversations in the Commonwealth’, the CPA’s Podcast, speaks to Hon. Donna Skelly, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in Canada – the first woman in Ontario to hold this prestigious position.

We speak about her role as a Presiding Officer and Member of Parliament; the barriers facing women in politics and how to overcome them; the role of ‘modern’ Commonwealth; and how her previous career as a journalist has helped in political life.

Hon. Donna Skelly was speaking with Jeffrey Hyland, Editor of The Parliamentarian, the CPA’s Journal of Commonwealth Parliaments.

Music: Vine Crawler by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue) 

Recorded in July 2025 at the 61st CPA Canada Regional Conference in Québec.

This episode of ‘Parliamentary Conversations in the Commonwealth’, the CPA’s Podcast, was made in association with ‘Human Coined’, a Podcast series hosted by Geoff Dubrow, Founder and Principal Consultant at Nexus PFM Consulting Inc., a consulting firm specialising in horizontal approaches to policy issues, bringing together Parliaments, Ministries of finance, civil society organisations and others.

(https://nexuspfm.com/podcast/) 

How can governments ensure that their public projects are good value for money, that spending is economic and efficient and that the public know where their money is going? 

In this episode, Geoff Dubrow examines the role of Public Accounts Committees in the Commonwealth’s smallest jurisdictions. He spoke with Hon. Seve Paeniu, a Member of the Parliament of Tuvalu and a former Finance Minister. They discussed the special challenges facing Tuvalu’s Public Accounts Committee in a Legislature of 16 Members, the role of the Opposition and Government in legislative scrutiny and how Tuvalu’s setup differs from PACs in other jurisdictions. 

Music: Vine Crawler by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

Recorded in August 2025.

In this episode of ‘Parliamentary Conversations in the Commonwealth’, the CPA spoke with three young people shaping the future of politics.  

Hon. Eve Borg Bonello MP became one of the world’s youngest elected Legislators in 2022, when she was elected to the Parliament of Malta at the age of 18. Zaria Ingham and Kemuel Pascall represented Turks and Caicos and Trinidad and Tobago respectively at the 12th Commonwealth Youth Parliament, hosted by the CPA and the Parliament of New Zealand in 2024.  

In this Podcast to mark International Youth Day, they discussed the barriers and advantages of being a young person in politics, how the voices of youth can be adequately represented and their hopes for the futures of their countries and the Commonwealth. 

This podcast was hosted by Marshall Tisdale, Programmes Officer at the CPA Secretariat, ahead of International Youth Day 2025.

Music: Vine Crawler by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)  

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Democracy is in retreat across the globe. To try to understand why, we talked to His Excellency Danny Faure, former President of the Seychelles and Professor Maya Tudor, Professor of Politics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford.   

Danny Faure discusses his role as the head of several Commonwealth Election Observation Missions stretching from Antigua and Barbuda to Gabon. He outlines some of the key day-to-day threats to democratic transition, including AI deepfakes, incumbents refusing to give up power, or unrest during elections. He also outlines the key role of the Election Observation Missions, and how elections can be supported by key institutions like the courts, the police and the media. 

Professor Maya Tudor discusses how we should go about defining democracy, the impact of colonialism on democratic transition, and how different varieties of nationalism can either enable or prevent a democratic transition. She also discusses some of the reasons for democratic backsliding across the globe. 

This episode was researched and recorded by CPA Communications Officer, Oz Russell, with additional research by CPA Deputy Head of Programmes, James Pinnell. 

Music: Vine Crawler by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

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https://www.cpahq.org/knowledge-centre/podcast/  
 
Recorded in May and June 2025. 

In this episode, we sit down with Hon. Shrimati Nayana Motamma, the youngest woman in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, legal professional and trailblazing Dalit woman redefining Indian politics. She discusses her route from corporate lawyer to grassroots political campaigns, and how her political career has been defined by courage, identity and generational legacy. We explore how she navigates complex intersections of caste, gender and power, and how she has consistently challenged expectations of what women’s leadership in India can look like.

Hon. Shrimati Nayana Motamma was speaking with Miral Pankhania, Communications and Office Administrator at the CPA Secretariat during the CWP Workshop in the Bahamas.

Music: Vine Crawler by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

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https://www.cpahq.org/knowledge-centre/podcast/ 

Recorded in May 2025.

This episode of ‘Parliamentary Conversations in the Commonwealth’, the CPA’s Podcast, features Rt Hon. Dame Emily Thornberry, UK MP continually since 2005, in conversation with Natasa Pantelic, who has been working in and around the UK Parliament for over 20 years.

The conversation explores the global challenges we face in 2025 and their impact on multilateralism, the role that the ‘modern’ Commonwealth can take in geo-politics, the many barriers facing women in entering political life and also the positive aspects of being an MP.

Dame Emily Thornberry is the current Chair of the UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and her previous roles have included Shadow Foreign Secretary, Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade and Shadow Attorney-General.

Music: Vine Crawler by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

Subscribe to the podcast or listen on your favourite platform:
https://www.cpahq.org/knowledge-centre/podcast/ 

Recorded in April 2025.