Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to make a statement and would ask each of you to listen carefully to what I have to say. I decided quite some time ago that I would like to end this last term as a member of this House on the backbench, as the Prime Minister can attest. We discussed this shortly after I announced that I would not be re-contesting the next election. I am not resigning as your Speaker today or tomorrow; rather I'm giving all of you notice of my plans for the future. As I said, I've been thinking about this for a long time and I made the decision some time ago.

I have been your Speaker for six years and two months over the 44th, 45th and this 46th parliaments. Being your Speaker is an incredible honour; I love the job. Obviously, what I'm saying now has been a very difficult decision. I note that many of you appreciate just what a busy and responsible job it is and, as you all know, it has been particularly so these last couple of years—keeping this House running, which has been vital. That's as well as all the other responsibilities of the job which, I can assure you, are much more than question time.

As I said, you already know that I won't be contesting the next election. As your Speaker, I get to speak and, let's be frank: as you know I can speak quite a lot! However, as you also know I don't have the opportunity to contribute in the House on behalf of my constituents in the way that you do every sitting day. That's why, in the final months of this parliament, I want to return to you on the floor of the House as the government member for Casey. I want to spend my remaining time contributing in the House and outside the House, working exclusively for the people of Casey. Without their support in electing me I wouldn't be in this place to be Speaker.

To those on the backbench, can I say that you play a critical role in bringing the issues of concern and priority in your electorates directly to this House and to ministers and shadow ministers. I simply want to rejoin you for the final period as a parliamentarian in this great House of Representatives. Accordingly, I plan to finish up as your Speaker just after we return here in November and return to you on the floor of the House. At this stage, I plan to chair the Monday proceedings on 22 November before resigning and enabling you to elect your next Speaker at the beginning of proceedings on Tuesday 23 November.

I will take the time to make some more extensive and reflective remarks, and some thank yous, after question time on the Monday when we return. Again, I don't want today to substitute for that—for obvious reasons. You might want to say some nice things, but I'm still going to be using 94(a) in question time in about 45 minutes.

As you are aware, a new Senate President was elected just last Monday, so it's important for the parliament that I take the next few weeks to work with him on a whole range of matters that we have joint responsibility for here in the building. I also want to give all members early notice of my decision so they can consider the vacancy.

I've taken the time to outline my reasons, which are simple and clear: I want to finish on the backbench as a government backbencher, and I want to speak in this House again and focus entirely on my electorate. It's not because I'm tired of the job. I doubt I would ever tire of it. It's certainly not because I'm tired of pulling ministers or members into line. I think you know I would never tire of that. I relish it. I just want to return to you.

Let me say clearly: if there is anyone within or outside this House that thinks my decision is the result of some disquiet I have with the government, you are completely wrong. That's why I'm pointing this out so directly now. If, at any point in the last six years and 2½ months, I had felt a decision or action of the House was a direct attack on my speakership, I hope you all know me well enough now to know I would have left the chair immediately.

I have at all times sought to operate fairly, consistently and predictably to be a Speaker for all of you. That's meant disciplining anyone I need to, even when it's a close friend, like the Prime Minister, who I've known for 20 years, or the Treasurer, who I've known for even longer, when he used to draft opinion pieces for other people rather than himself. But we are dear friends—the Treasurer and I—and he's known about my plans for an extensive period of time as well. As I've said, I thought about this over a long period of time. Indeed, had it not been for the responsibility I've had to the operation of the House during this COVID time, I would have been making this speech some time ago.

Given my role and my approach to the speakership over the last six and a bit years, I will conduct myself in a way I believe befitting of a former Speaker still in the House. So I have no plans to ask questions of ministers unless they're directly related to my constituents. Secondly, I have no plans to raise points of order or to point out sound and wise rulings unless absolutely necessary. And I have no plans to interject.

I thank you for your support for the time that I'm here—that's all of today and the coming weeks. And, in the chair today and on the Monday when we return, I'll be enforcing the standing orders as I always have—possibly like never before. Thank you.

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