Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I inform the House that the Governor-General in Council has agreed to my recommendation and appointed David Elder to be the Clerk of the House of Representatives from 1 January 2014. As mentioned by the Leader of The Nationals and Deputy Prime Minister, the Parliamentary Service Act says a person cannot be appointed as Clerk unless the Speaker is satisfied that the person has extensive knowledge of, and experience in, relevant parliamentary law, procedure and practice'. Mr Elder certainly has that. He has had a distinguished career, to this date, in the parliamentary service and he has been appointed in accordance with that act, through a rigorous process. He joined the House of Representatives in 1981 and worked on parliamentary committees, among which was that important inquiry into the banking sector in 1990. He served as Serjeant-at-Arms, Assistant Clerk (Committees) and Assistant Clerk (Table). He has been Deputy Clerk since 2010. He has been in charge of members' interests statements for this last period. He has a Master of Arts, an Executive Master of Administration and he is a Rotarian. We have just praised our outgoing Clerk, and I have every confidence that my choice in the appointment of David Elder is going to see another person serve this parliament with great distinction.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise to support your observations about David Elder, our incoming Clerk. We have just listened to the fine things so rightly said about the outgoing Clerk, and obviously David has big shoes to fill. But I have absolutely no doubt, David, that you will fill them and fill them well. I have absolutely no doubt that you will grow into the role to which you have just been promoted. Every Clerk of the House of Representatives has turned out to be a fine custodian of its traditions. In my time I have known Lyn Barlin and Ian Harris well, as well as Bernard Wright, and I am pleased to have had the chance to get to know you, David, reasonably well in the two decades or so I have been associated with the House. You have been here in one capacity or another since 1981. You know this place, you know its people, you know its tempers, its moods, its rhythms. Short only of the Father of the House himself are you familiar with this chamber. I suppose the best thing I can say about David Elder is that he is very much in the image and likeness of Bernard Wright, and that is why I am confident he will serve this chamber with great distinction.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to congratulate Mr Elder on his appointment. The opposition completely supports this appointment. We have great confidence in the work that you will perform, just as we have had great confidence in you, especially in recent years when the last parliament gave rise to all sorts of circumstances and tested your mettle. The opposition has great confidence that you will continue in the very high standard of professionalism that has been set by Bernard Wright.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am delighted to join in the congratulations for David Elder on becoming our new Clerk. There has been something of a tradition in the parliament that the Deputy Clerk succeeds the Clerk. In this case, I think the appointment today will be of no surprise whatsoever. While it is true that over recent years we have gone through an application process—and that is appropriate—it is very hard for anyone to come into this job, from another parliament or any other place in life, and be able to pick up the pieces and do the pressured job associated with being Clerk in the parliament, especially during question time, from day one. I think, therefore, that the tradition of people having a depth of experience within our own parliamentary organisation and succeeding into the position of Clerk is a tradition that is likely to go on. David Elder has only got 32 years experience, so he obviously has a lot of potential ahead of him! Through those 32 years he has genuinely demonstrated that he has the capabilities to do this job. We all look forward to receiving his day-to-day advice and working with him constructively to ensure that the parliament achieves its objectives and the Australian people have the respect for this place that we want them to have.