Duncan Kerr (Denison, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, in recent months, or perhaps years, Hansard has requested the assistance of members by asking them to provide, if they are available, advance copies of draft speeches in electronic form. As a light-hearted and humorous aside, they have been identifying those members whose birthdays are coming up and wishing them well. In an obviously ill-timed and unfortunate circumstance, the officer responsible sent around a little note with former member Mark Latham’s name crossed out, which obviously some people thought was in bad taste, and that was reflected back to the officer.

Mr Speaker, might I ask that you ensure that what I thought was a perfectly sensible previous practice of seeking our assistance in providing advance copies where it is possible and also the good natured provision of advice about birthdays, reflecting goodwill on behalf of the officer, is reinstated. Even if members have taken offence at what I thought was a fairly tasteless addition to the birthday greetings in the case of the mention of Mr Latham, nonetheless it was obviously meant in good fun and in good faith and he has suffered more than sufficient chastisement. He obviously, by sending a note around today, feels deeply about the grief that he has caused, but I do not believe any members on this side—and I doubt any members on the other side—would wish there to be anything in the nature of longstanding action taken that would prevent the re-establishment of what was a perfectly sensible and happy arrangement.

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