Hon. Donna Skelly (Ontario): Being a Presiding Officer, overcoming barriers for women in politics and the role of the ‘modern’ Commonwealth

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.