Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Congratulations on your appointment, Mr Speaker. Notwithstanding the obvious disagreements that the member for Mackellar and I had in her role as Speaker, her role as a fearless warrior for her side of politics has always been acknowledged, and this parliament is well served having people within it who hold views and hold them fearlessly. We wish her well. For you in the role as Speaker, there will be moments over the next few weeks, no doubt, where both government and opposition work out the parameters as to how you will apply the standing orders: the government, from the perspective of the rules you put on questions; the opposition, from the perspective of the rules that you apply on answers and, in particular, on direct relevance. But, within that, if we end up with a situation where the public debate is about the policy rather than the procedure, about the Australian people rather than each other, then the parliament will have been well served.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

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