Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, can I associate myself with the remarks of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Leader of the House and the Leader of the National Party in congratulating you on your re-election as Speaker for the 43rd parliament. That might be a short term or a long term; let us hope it is a long term as the opposition believes you have done a great job in the last three years in the 42nd parliament in trying to be fair and reasonable in the difficult circumstances of having standing orders very much weighted on behalf of one side of the House. The standing orders that we will pass today or tomorrow in order to do this facilitate the election of the Deputy Speaker and the Second Deputy Speaker—that may be today or it may be tomorrow—will give you the opportunity to give full vent to your stated desire over the last three years that the parliament change the standing orders so that you could make question time more relevant, more appropriate and a better place for the parliament, which the opposition has very much wanted over those last three years.

Mr Speaker, I think it is fair to say and honest to say that you and I have had something of a love-hate relationship over the last few years. As Manager of Opposition Business I need you to love me but I have not always felt that love. I am very much looking forward in the 43rd parliament to us being able to change that relationship so that there is a lot more love flowing between us as Speaker and Manager of Opposition Business and that you might leaven some of the exits of members of this House that occurred with a few more from the other side as the months and years progress. So congratulations to you and I look forward very much to being your Manager of Opposition Business.

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