Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Assistant Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

Standing orders should certainly be suspended, because this motion goes to the very decency of the Manager of Opposition Business and the very decency of the Leader of the Opposition. Because if he were a Leader of the Opposition of any standing, if he were a real leader, he would require the Manager of Opposition Business to apologise for the denigration of the role of Speaker, to stand here at the dispatch box and apologise unequivocally rather than hiding behind weasel words.

The role of the office of Speaker is of absolute importance in this House. The office of Speaker deserves the respect of members opposite. It is a long tradition in this place that members of this House respect the role of the Speaker, the position of the Speaker and the standards of this House. But, unfortunately, members opposite have form for disrespecting the Speaker and the office of Speaker. We have only to look back at the last parliament to see the way in which the Australian Labor Party treated a very fine Speaker of this House and that was former Speaker Jenkins.

Former Speaker Jenkins, a highly regarded figure in this House, was swept aside for the political convenience of the Australian Labor Party and was replaced by who? Who did the Labor Party install in place of the respected former Speaker Jenkins? No-one other than Peter Slipper. Peter Slipper was desperately defended by the Australian Labor Party, for their own political convenience, despite the fact it was revealed that he had been sending messages, which would have been considered disgusting by anyone on this side of the House but, apparently, acceptable by members opposite, because they continued to defend him.

If the Manager of Opposition Business had any decency whatsoever, he would apologise to the Speaker, he would stand up right here, right now, and apologise unequivocally rather than camouflaging his words in and around a whole range of lucid statements. He should stand and apologise.

I would like to bring to the attention of the House the factual incorrectness of the statements that were made. In fact, former Speaker Leo McLeay resigned as Speaker as a result of an accusation with regard to a false compensation claim for $65,000 for falling off a parliamentary bicycle. That is the reason why Speaker McLeay resigned. The Manager of Opposition Business should check his facts before attempting to compare the situations.

The current occupant of the chair, the Speaker, is a highly regarded member of this House, of longstanding experience, who has served both in the House of Representatives and the Senate, and who demands your respect, not the contempt that you are showing towards the position of Speaker.

Members opposite are showing their blatant disregard for that office, which has served the Australian parliament well since Federation. Members opposite seem content to place this office in disrepute. Madam Speaker, this House certainly supports your speakership. We certainly support the execution of the role of Speaker, as you have done it, as opposed to the rather poor performances we have seen from the Manager of Opposition Business.

I think it is important that standing orders be suspended so that we may have the matter decided by this House. The role of Speaker should be shown the respect that it is required to receive from members of this House rather than the disrespect that is shown over and over again by members opposite. Members opposite on numerous occasions have failed to respect the office of Speaker. Members opposite replaced a previous Speaker, Speaker Jenkins, who was held in high regard by both sides of this House. The office of Speaker and respect for the office of Speaker should be upheld. That is why standing orders should be suspended and it is why the member opposite, the Manager of Opposition Business, should apologise.

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