George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That Mr Coulton be elected Deputy Speaker of this House.

It is my pleasure to nominate the member for Parkes as the Deputy Speaker of the House. Farmers bring to this place a strong connection to the country in the industries that made this country what it is today. The member for Parkes has maintained a very strong connection with the land for generations, particularly around the Warialda and Gravesend districts—so much so that every second name in the local paper, TheWarialda Standard, is a Coulton. The name 'Coulton' is now regularly mentioned in more than 40 newspapers across New South Wales, as the electorate of Parkes takes up nearly all of it, covering 393,000 square kilometres. But the Coulton in those stories never actually planned to be a politician. He knew from birth that he wanted to be a farmer, and he spent his first full day driving a tractor at the age of 10.

The member for Parkes has spent 30 years as a farmer and grazier. He and his wife, Robyn, owned a farm producing cereal crops and beef cattle before he became the inaugural mayor of the Gwydir Shire Council in 2004. Those who know the member for Parkes will well understand the important role that his wife, Robyn, has played throughout his political career, giving up her career as a school teacher to dedicate her time to serving the electorate of Parkes as well. I have to say, she has also been a dedicated organiser in the Nationals chief whips' office. They are probably valuable traits that prompted the member for Parkes, some 35 years ago, to sell his best horse for an engagement ring. Should the member for Parkes be elevated to the role of Deputy Speaker, I have no doubt Robyn will be a tireless worker for this parliament as well. We can only hope that the member for Parkes is able to go as good a job in the Speaker's chair as he did horsetrading in the past.

He has been the Nationals' whip for the past three years in government. He was the Nationals' whip for three years prior to that, in opposition. For the better part of those past six years the member for Parkes and I have been seated together in this House. He has provided wise counsel. He was probably seated there to keep an eye on me! However, given that he knows my propensity to interject, I am sure I am going hear a bit from him in the future when he is sitting in your seat, Mr Speaker. Speaking of your seat, Mr Speaker, taking up his new seating arrangement is probably going to be one of the highlights of parliament for the member for Parkes, because we were complaining only this morning about how we have not really moved much in the seating arrangement since we have been here—two to the left every time. Now he gets to go to the front of the parliament and sit in the box seat, and that is certainly a move that was worth waiting for.

One thing that everyone will say about the member for Parkes is that he puts on a pretty good Christmas party. While it might be the Nationals' Christmas party, members from the Liberal Party, the Labor Party and Independents alike have all joined in the entertainment which the member for Parkes has arranged. I am not sure we will see any karaoke machines in the Deputy Speaker's office, though.

In all seriousness, the calm nature, grace and measured approach the member for Parkes has brought to parliament since his election in 2007 are welcome attributes in the Deputy Speaker. He is widely regarded as a voice of reason in the House. One of his favourite lines is: 'You get more done here with honey than with vinegar.' He is also a man of vision. He has long promoted the need for inland rail to open up for the future of this country—a passion of his before coming to this place. That dream that he has pursued is becoming a reality, with funding now available for preconstruction planning and for the purchasing of a corridor, and, hopefully, during his time as Deputy Speaker he will see that work commence.

The member for Parkes is not in this place to be a politician. He is here to represent his local region and to bring to parliament his strong belief in agriculture and the land in inland Australia. I have no doubt that the member for Parkes will carry out the role of Deputy Speaker with great professionalism. I wish him all the very best in discharging those duties.

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