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

I move:

That the member for Reid do take the chair of this House as Speaker.

The member for Reid has been a member of the Speaker's panel since 20 October 2010 and he has been in this parliament first as the member for Lowe since 1998 and now as the member for Reid following a redistribution in New South Wales in 2010. The member for Reid is well known to this side of the parliament for his integrity and for his honesty and for his intention to always uphold the values and principles upon which he came into the parliament. I know that the member for Reid has on many occasions agreed with positions the opposition has taken, particularly on life issues, over the course of the time that he has been in the parliament.

I know the member for Reid would be truly disappointed, surprised and probably quite hurt with the way that the Labor Party has today decided to traduce the Westminster traditions of this parliament. I know that the member for Reid would have a very high regard for the member for Chisholm. I know that the member for Reid would be one of the people who would have been urging the Labor Party upon the retirement of Speaker Jenkins to support the member for Chisholm to be Speaker in this place. But in the absence of the member for Chisholm accepting the nomination of the opposition, I think it does fall to the member for Reid to search inside himself and recognise that today's act by the Labor Party—this unprecedented act—will ring as a day of infamy in this parliament. Therefore, to protect the traditions of this parliament, to protect the Westminster system upon which our democracy relies, the member for Reid should recognise his own ability to take the role as Speaker of the parliament and accept the nomination of the opposition that I move with pride today.

The Clerk: Is the motion seconded?

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