Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

I join with the comments made by the Leader of the House and the member for Cowper on Tuesday and by the Chief Government Whip, the Chief Opposition Whip and the member for Riverina, on behalf of the National Party, today. The admission by the member for Fairfax that he knew Tony in his 20s explains a lot, and I wish I had known that earlier. But, in all seriousness, the position that Tony Levy holds as the PLO—I should explain: the Parliamentary Liaison Officer—is a very important bridge between the parliament and executive government. He has followed in a great line of occupants of that position who have ensured that things have run smoothly, that there is a recognition that from time to time there are different priorities of this institution but that we are here to make sure those things that are wished to be achieved through the parliamentary program are achieved. I congratulate him and thank him. I apologise that I am amongst one or two people around here who have perhaps compared him unfairly to some of his predecessors, but I think that he has done the job with great distinction, as we would expect of officers of the Australian Public Service and in particular the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. I wish Tony all the best for his retirement, capital R through T.

See this speech in context