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

Mr Clerk, I move:

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

In doing so, can I say that the nomination by the member for New England unfortunately underlines what high farce this parliament has become. The member for New England's attempt at humour underlines what high farce the Labor Party has brought this parliament to. Far from being amused by the member for New England's action, all the members of the Labor Party who have signed up to this deal today should hang their heads in shame that the parliament has become such high farce that here in Canberra, inside the beltway, the Labor Party thinks it is amusing to trash the traditions of the Westminster system in this country.

The Labor Party thinks it is fun and amusing to entertain the nomination of me, a member of the opposition, as the Speaker of this parliament when the whole point of this debate today is that a member of the government should take the role of Speaker of the parliament in the Westminster system. It is no surprise that that nomination was not seconded, because nobody else was silly enough to second the motion of a member of the opposition to take the role of Speaker except the member for Banks and the member for Melbourne Ports who have done just that today. Their parliamentary careers will be remembered by the fact that they took part in this grubby action today. I had more respect for them than they have demonstrated they deserve today.

I nominate the member for Petrie, Mr Clark, who has been on the speakers panel since 20 October 2010 and was elected to parliament in 2007. I hope that she, at least one member of the Labor Party, will take the nomination. Can I find one member of the Labor Party who believes in themselves enough to uphold the traditions of the Westminster system and take the role of Speaker of this parliament?

The Clerk: Is the proposal seconded?

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