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

Mr Speaker, I know you don't want this moment terribly, and a few people have reflected on that. But this parliament's not really good at moments of grace, and we're getting one now, and it's only because of you. And that needs to be noted. From the moment you took that chair, that chair that is seated above the rest of us, you never looked down on the parliament that you have presided over. There are many people here who pay attention to the parliament in different ways; there are a few people who really value parliamentary debate and the parliament itself. Whenever some people have tried to stifle parliamentary debate or wreck it in different ways, you have been a handbrake on that and a handbrake on making sure that this place, as close as possible and within your power, was able to function as a parliament.

Speaker Holder was elected three times unopposed. There is another record that hasn't been referred to but is yours as well: nominated by a government backbencher, seconded by an opposition backbencher. It's only happened twice; it happened with Speaker Holder and it happened with you. It's because you have been a Speaker who has not belonged to one side of the politics when you have been in the chair; you've belonged to the House. And that's been appreciated and acknowledged. It doesn't mean that everybody has liked every decision that you've made. You have used 94(a) on 730 occasions—

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