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

I move:

That Mr Scott be elected Deputy Speaker of this House.

Mr Speaker, I congratulate you in your elevation to the office of Speaker. I nominate the member for Maranoa as Deputy Speaker. It strikes me as passing strange that the member for Chisholm would be nominated for Deputy Speaker when in fact she did not regard itself as being worthy to be the Speaker of the parliament but regards herself as being qualified to be the Deputy Speaker of the parliament. The only reason I nominate the member for Maranoa is that, in order to display any consistency, you would expect the member for Chisholm not to be able to take the role of Deputy Speaker if she is not capable of being the Speaker of the parliament. I nominate the member for Maranoa for that reason and also because the member for Maranoa is exactly the kind of person who should fill the role of Deputy Speaker in this parliament. The member for Maranoa has been on the Speaker's panel for almost 10 years. He was a minister for five years and he was the Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence for three years. In fact, he has been the Second Deputy Speaker since 12 February 2008. I think all members of the parliament would agree with me that the member for Maranoa has served in the role as Second Deputy Speaker, as minister, as chairman of parliamentary committees, as deputy chairman of parliamentary committees and as the member for Maranoa for 21 years with distinction, ability and integrity. I know that if the parliament has the confidence and the sense to elect a member who wishes to be Deputy Speaker and who has the ability and the intention to back their worthiness for that role then he will fulfil the role with great ability.

It would surprise me if the Labor Party were to elect the member for Chisholm as the Deputy Speaker when the member for Chisholm has already indicated to the parliament that she does not believe she is capable of being the Speaker. So I would ask the parliament to elect the member for Maranoa as the Deputy Speaker and, if he should be elected, I wish him the best in that role.

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