Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

I congratulate you, Madam Speaker, on your election to this high office. You certainly served an unusual apprenticeship, but you come into the Speaker's chair to complete the work of the Speaker in this parliament with the experience of having chaired a number of question times and having been involved in the procedures of this House at a very intimate level. I congratulate you on your election. As the Leader of the Opposition said, we did try to nominate you once previously and that reflects our respect for you. Madam Speaker, you have a particularly challenging task—to build on the dignity and honour of the profession and to repair some of the hurt evident in the chamber today. I believe you will undertake that responsibility with great diligence and considerable ability.

I acknowledge also that this has been a particularly difficult day for your predecessor. I commend his decision to resign, and I know that his action can help to start the rebuilding process so that this House can deserve and earn the respect of the Australian people as it goes about its important work of legislating for the people of this country.

Congratulations on your election—we assure you of our support and we will try to be as well-behaved as the circumstances permit. You have demonstrated in the time you have been in the chair a willingness to deal with issues and with people in as sympathetic a way as possible, and we wish you well in your new position.

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