Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the honourable member for Casey do take the chair of this House as Speaker.

First elected in 2001, the member for Casey has given long years of dedicated service in this House which will, in our view, equip him well to be an outstanding Speaker of this parliament. As he is an electoral neighbour to my electorate of Deakin, I have had the absolute privilege of working very closely with the member for Casey and, in doing so, have seen firsthand the understanding and respect that the honourable member has for our parliament and its traditions and conventions.

The member for Casey has been a fearless advocate for his electorate and has always been dependable and trustworthy. And I must say that on a personal level he is extraordinarily honest—perhaps with one exception. Anyone who knows Tony knows he is an absolute revhead. He is a Holden man through and through. He and I have had many arguments—being a Ford man myself. He is honest to a fault, with one exception. I am very sorry, Tony. My message to Pam, his wonderful wife, is that there have been many occasions when Tony has purchased a car and told you second.

More importantly, all of us who know the member for Casey know that he has a keen intellect and is very well respected by his colleagues on both sides of the chamber. I am therefore extraordinarily confident that Tony Smith has the experience, temperament and strength necessary to instil respect and trust in our parliamentary institutions. So it is a great honour to be able to nominate Tony Smith, the member for Casey, as Speaker.

The Clerk: Is the motion seconded?

Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am happy to second this nomination. The member for Casey has been known to me since 2013 as both a friend and a colleague. I can say, as one of the newer members of this place, that I am pleased to endorse his nomination for Speaker of this House, knowing him as a very strong man of values, a very strong man of integrity and a man who is prepared to serve not only his constituency and his party but also members of this House. He is a man who is incredibly friendly and, dare I say it in this place, a man who is also known for his kindness. I must endorse the comments by the member for Deakin. The member for Casey is a very strong family man and talks lovingly of both Pam and his family. He is a great man who will uphold the tradition of this House. If we were asking for a nominee to serve as Speaker who will not only uphold the traditions but rule this place without fear or favour, it would be a man, a great Carlton man, who would ask to have as his nominator a third-generation Collingwood fan. So it is with great pleasure that I second the nomination of the member for Casey.

The Clerk: Does the member accept the nomination?

Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I accept.

The Clerk: Is there any further proposal? There being no further proposal, the time for proposals has expired. I declare that the honourable member proposed, Mr Smith, has been elected as Speaker.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

I wish to express my grateful thanks for the high honour that the House has been pleased to confer upon me.

The Speaker having seated himself in the chair—

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

Mr Speaker, on behalf of the government, may I extend to you our congratulations on assuming this high and important office. As the Speaker, you sir are the custodian of the traditions of this House. Your job is to maintain order in this House by commanding the respect of both sides of the chamber. I am confident, based on our friendship and comradeship going back some quarter of a century, that this is exactly what you will do. May I say, Mr Speaker, that in the course of your 15-year parliamentary career you have met with some disappointments. It is precisely because you have met with triumph and disaster and treated both those impostors the same that you have so strongly commanded a majority inside the Liberal party room and why you have been elected unopposed here in this chamber.

Just a word, if I may, on the member for Mackellar. It should be said of the member for Mackellar that, despite some admitted errors of judgement, she has served this parliament, our country and her party with dedication and distinction for over 30 years. She has been a warrior for the causes that she believes in. I should also observe that, at the close of a very difficult week in his prime ministership, John Howard said, 'Politics is a hard and unforgiving business, but it is amongst the highest and noblest forms of public service.' May all of us conduct ourselves so that the public that we serve will better appreciate that in the days and weeks and years to come.

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

On behalf of the opposition, congratulations. For all our clashes with the former Speaker, we wish her well. Mr Speaker, you have been chosen by your peers as the first officer of the parliament, upholding a tradition that began with the parliament seven centuries ago, and you bring to this position a proud record of advocating for a more accountable, more representative Australian democracy, particularly in your role as chairman of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters. I am sure this is a proud day for you and your family. Your elevation brings an opportunity for all of us in this place to reflect on our behaviour and how this chamber operates. Let us begin by restoring a role of independence to the job of Speaker.

Serving as a Speaker is a privilege, not a prize; a responsibility, not a reward. Regardless of previous political allegiance, we welcome the Speaker's commitment not to attend their party room's meetings. Today is a chance to lift the standards of this parliament, to return them to a level which Australians rightly expect of their representatives—not just improving behaviour but lifting the standard of accountability. Mr Speaker, much of this challenge falls upon your shoulders. You can make this a place where straightforward questions get straightforward answers, where the words 'direct relevance' carry real meaning, where the Speaker manages debate without seeking to participate in it and where standing orders, including 94(a), are applied fairly to both sides of the House. In addition, I call upon the Prime Minister, in this spirit of change, to consider restoring supplementary questions and genuine scrutiny.

Mr Speaker, today we move from a proud supporter of the Warringah Rats to the Carlton Blues. But, whatever code we follow, I believe that the best umpires are the ones that you do not notice. Let this be the story of your speakership: an impartial officer serving an accountable parliament. Well done and good luck.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Assistant Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the National Party and the Leader of the Nationals, Warren Truss, who is returning from parliamentary business representing the Prime Minister, I congratulate you on your election as Speaker. It gives me particular pleasure given the fact that you are a member of the class of 2001, of which I am a member. It is great to see a member of the class of 2001 being elected to the high office of Speaker. You have distinguished yourself over many years as an excellent parliamentarian and a dedicated servant of your electorate. You have provided great service on the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters. You have been a great member indeed. Your extensive experience in this parliament, no doubt, has given you a great understanding and familiarity of the role of Speaker which you will be undertaking in the time ahead.

I would draw to your attention that the member for Wakefield is probably preparing a strategy for question time going forward! I hope that you will deal with him firmly and fairly. You have made a great contribution to this parliament in your service so far, and I certainly wish you well in your role as Speaker. You will be strongly assisted by an able deputy in the member for Maranoa, who has served this parliament over many years and has fulfilled the role of Deputy Speaker with distinction. On behalf of the Nationals, I wish you well in your time as Speaker.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I am delighted to be able to join with the previous speakers in congratulating you on your elevation. I have no doubt that you will bring dignity and goodwill to the very important office that you have been elected to today. I would also like to thank the member for Mackellar for her long service to this parliament in the role of Speaker and as a minister, shadow minister and a fierce representative of the people of Mackellar.

I think I was, at the end, the only person still barracking for the member for Maranoa. It was a one-person team, but we are very pleased to know that he will still continue his wonderful work as Deputy Speaker. Thank you very much for your service to date and in the future as well.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I would like to congratulate you on behalf of the government and as Leader of the House on your election as Speaker today. As most members in this House would know, the new Speaker and I have been friends for our entire political careers—right back to university days. We have been through many trials and tribulations and many successes together over the course of those 30 years, knowing each other from student politics right through to the current day, and I look forward very much to his role as Speaker, a very young Speaker. I am not sure that I have served in the House with such a young Speaker before. Steve Martin might be the closest to that, so it will be an interesting image for the parliament, and a refreshing one at that. So congratulations to Tony Smith, the member for Casey, on his election today. I look forward to working closely with him to continue to have a robust parliament that debates the issues, that uncovers what needs to be uncovered and that makes sure that we have good government for the most people most of the time.

Also, can I briefly pay tribute to the member for Mackellar, the previous Speaker. I, in fact, seconded her nomination two years ago to be Speaker. She has been felled in most unfair circumstances by politics today. I listened very carefully to the remarks of the Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, noticing their now very generous remarks about the member for Mackellar. I am reminded of their not so generous remarks not very long ago, Mr Speaker. To the former Madam Speaker: I do pay tribute to you as the Speaker. I think you have been a great political figure over your 30-year career in Australian politics. I think you will always be remembered as a great advocate for the causes in which you believed, which happily are the causes of this side of the House. For women in parliament you have been a beacon of strength and fortitude, never flagging, despite the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, and I pay you the most fulsome tribute for the contribution you have made to Australian public life.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to 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!

Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Congratulations, Speaker, on behalf of the Greens on your elevation. I do not know whether this is something that you will like me saying or not, but I do know that colleagues who have worked with you on the joint standing committee think very highly of you. Perhaps that is a kiss of death coming from the Greens, but nonetheless I convey it and know that there is, from our side, significant respect and support for you in your role. To the extent that you will now have your work cut out for you to restore some impartiality to the role and to the integrity and respect for this place, you have our full support. One thing that I would like to remind you of in your new role is that over 20 per cent of Australians do not vote for either Labor or the coalition, and we are represented up here in this corner. So when you look to one side and then to the other, please remember to look down the middle as well. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank everyone for their generous remarks. I just want to make a few remarks in response. As everyone has done in this debate, I recognise the member for Mackellar, who I have known for nearly 30 years and who has been a wonderful servant of our party. I want to recognise her at the outset. I thank the House for the confidence you have placed in me. There is no greater honour within the parliament than to be elected by one's peers. I am a servant of this House and all of its members. There is, however, a mutual obligation between presiding officers and individual members. I want to say at the outset that I will give a fair go to all on the floor of this chamber. But in return I do expect a level of discourse that reflects that.

Parliament is a robust place. It should be a robust place. It is where we battle our view of a better Australia. It is the arena for the battle of ideas and ideals. I make that point because often people say parliament should not be robust. It should, but it need not be rude and it need not be loud. That is something I would like to see improve. I cannot do that, but together we all can. I wanted to make that point at the opening.

I also want to say I have many friends in this chamber. I have, Prime Minister, some friends on the other side.

An opposition member: You didn't say that before the election.

It was not part of my pitch—that is true. I have known the member for Corio for a very long period of time. I have known the member for Batman. We were at university together. They know I will be fair. They also know that I will bring to this place, to the best of my ability, a better parliament, and a better parliament is something we should all be striving for.

A couple of other points: I am going to make it a practice periodically to meet with the Leader of the House, the Manager of Opposition Business and Independent members to discuss the operation of parliament. I will have more to say on that during the course of this fortnight. I think that will be a practical forum for me to convey my expectations to representatives of all groupings within this place. It can be a forum where parliament's expectations of my office can also be conveyed and it will serve as a mechanism for some mutual accountability.

Can I reiterate that I will not be attending weekly party meetings. I have said that in discussions with colleagues during the course of the last seven days. It is my view that the Speaker should not only be but also be seen to be independent of the partisan day-to-day fray. I think the decision is symbolic, but it is also practical.

My role, and that of the President in the other place, is unique. The President of the Senate and I have minister-like responsibilities for the respective chambers and for the Department of Parliamentary Services, but we are not, of course, members of the executive. So, in the execution of our responsibilities in relation to the administration of parliamentary departments and how they serve members and support this chamber, the views of the executive, of the opposition and of individual members will be given equal weight.

I just want to say a couple of other things of a personal nature. I want to mention the former member for Casey and a former Speaker, the Hon. Bob Halverson, who I have known for many, many years, who may be listening to my remarks now. I want to thank my family: my wife, Pam; my mum; and my two boys, Thomas and Angus. They have found this last week interesting. I heard Thomas telling someone Dad was on the phone a lot. Angus found it exciting but he was mostly interested that I still, despite busyness, collect the David Attenborough DVD at the milk bar each morning. They will find this very exciting.

I want to take the opportunity to place on record my great appreciation for the professionalism and the institutional knowledge of the clerks, which I will be utilising to a great degree as I serve in this role. I want to thank the Prime Minister for his friendship and confidence. I want to thank him for appointing me to the chairmanship of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters. It is a very important committee. I have deep appreciation for that committee for my understanding of our democracy and it stoked even more interest on my behalf in this parliament.

Whilst today is a humbling day for me, it is also a sad day for so many in this chamber because when we left here at the end of the last sitting there were 150 of us. We will pay tribute to the late Don Randall during the course of today. I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to his family. I sat next to Don in the last parliament. When you sit next to someone for three years, particularly when it is someone from another state, you get to know a lot about them and their interests. He was a friend and he called it as he saw it. To the former Speakers, I can tell you: you did not hear every interjection, thankfully.

I again thank my colleagues for the honour that has been bestowed upon me. I thank the parliament for electing me unanimously to this role. I will do my very best.

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

Mr Speaker, I have been advised that the Governor-General will set a time for receiving you as Speaker of the House.

Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Prime Minister. The chair will be resumed at the ringing of the bills.

Sitting suspended from 10:27 to 11:30