Lucy Wicks (Robertson, 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.

It is my privilege to be able to nominate the member for Casey as Speaker today, particularly as in the 44th Parliament and the 45th Parliament I had the honour of seconding his nomination alongside my friend the member for Deakin, and of serving on the Speaker's Panel during this time. The member for Casey has been a personal friend for a number of years now and was a willing mentor when I was first elected to this place as the member for Robertson in 2013. But indeed, I am not alone in calling the member for Casey a friend. Many of us would consider him so, yet it has not prevented him from calling upon standing order 94(a) when needed, which a number of members in this House would be familiar with today—perhaps some more so than others.

During his time as Speaker, the member for Casey has been fearless and impartial with his rulings. I can think of no-one being more qualified or deserving to take the chair as Speaker, as he is able to balance the robust nature of debate in this House with the dignity and respect for our parliamentary traditions, while still bringing his quick wit and personality to this place. The member for Casey is well known for his love of political history, but I also draw to the attention of the House his love of the history of motor vehicles. In 2017 the member for Casey rightly cemented his reputation as one of the parliament's biggest revheads by immortalising in the parliamentary record a question from the member for McMahon, as he ruled it out of order by simply saying—I don't think I can do the tone of the way that the member for Casey does this, but I will do my best:

Let me put it in more simple language: you cannot come along with a Holden badge and stick it on a Mazda and say it is a Holden. The question is out of order.

The role of Speaker is, no doubt, with its challenges, but the member for Casey has always acted impartially, with grace and with fairness—sometimes, no doubt, to the chagrin of members of this side of the House—and he embodies the dignity of this office and the rich heritage of this place. He will serve the parliament and the people of Australia in a manner of which we can all be proud, and he brings considerable experience as an outstanding advocate for his community, as a distinguished parliamentarian, as a mentor and as a leader. It is with great honour that I commend the member for Casey's nomination to the House.

The Clerk: Is the nomination seconded?

Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a great pleasure to be given the opportunity to second the nomination of the member for Casey as Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 46th Parliament. The member for Casey and I entered the parliament in the class of 2001. We were two of the seven newly elected Victorians, which was, in fact, a bumper crop that year for the great state of Victoria. A total of 21 members made up the class of 2001. Many colleagues have since left this place, but eight still remain. And although 18 years can make you feel old at times, the member for Casey today does not look a day older than he did when we first met during our induction, otherwise known as 'pollie school', in this place.

Much has happened in this place since our arrival here in 2001. Our side of politics, for one, has fought very hard in the last seven elections to win the federal seat of Casey, and of course each time the member for Casey has prevailed—a sure sign that he is a diligent and popular local member and of course has no plan to budge any time soon!

Today, as we commence the 46th Parliament, I'm really pleased to second the nomination of the member for Casey as our Speaker. As a member of the Speaker's Panel in the 45th Parliament, I had the opportunity to work with the member for Casey as he and the Speaker's office provided strong support and guidance to all the members of the Speaker's Panel. It was clear to us all that the member for Casey was determined to ensure that the integrity of the office of Speaker, and indeed the integrity and dignity of the House of Representatives chamber, was upheld at all times, above and beyond the theatre of political tactics and shenanigans that are a common feature of this place. As Speaker, the member for Casey faithfully adhered to the implementation of the House of Representatives Practice and he was both thoughtful and fair in his deliberations and decisions. There were times when he was truly challenged, but he always managed to remain calm and unfazed. As such, he has earned the respect and confidence of this place.

Now of course is as good a time as any to let the member for Casey know that during our frequent briefing sessions in the last parliament he came across at times as a bit stern and strict in his expectations of us. But that is a reflection of his professionalism, as well as his dry sense of humour. He is actually a very good bloke!

I want to finish by saying that, as much as I respect the member for Casey for his professionalism and demeanour, I by no means share his interest in and enthusiasm for V8 Holden Monaros and restoring panel vans, because, as the member for Calwell, I have to remind him and everyone else in here that we were once Ford! However, we are both Carlton supporters and that places us in a smaller, unique class of people who must stick together as we patiently wait for the glory days!

I want to acknowledge that as a member of the class of 2001 and a fellow of the great state of Victoria, the member for Casey has gone on to distinguish himself as an excellent local member and an excellent Speaker in the best of the traditions in this place.

The Clerk: Does the member for Casey accept the nomination?

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I accept the nomination.

The Clerk: Is there any further proposal? The time for proposals has expired. I declare that the honourable member proposed, Mr ADH Smith, has been duly elected as Speaker.

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

The Speaker having seated himself in the chair—

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker, and can I be the first to congratulate you on your election, again, as Speaker. In doing so, I'm sure you would agree to pass on my congratulations to all members of this House, particularly those first elected to this chamber, which is a great privilege and an enormous responsibility. I know for all of you, all of your family and friends and those who have supported you this is a very special moment. And for those who have been given the great honour and opportunity to be re-elected to this place as members of this great House, I equally congratulate you and your family and friends and others who have gathered here today to share this very important day with you.

But to you, Mr Speaker: you have many great loves and passions in this life, none greater than Pam and the boys, who I know once again will be deeply proud of their dad today. You have great passions, as we've heard, for the Carlton Football Club, your Holden panel van and many other things which we have discussed on so many occasions as great friends. But one of your great passions is this House—this chamber—and the role that it plays in our great country. You bring a real honour to this institution.

This is the second time that you have been elected unchallenged to this position following an election. I think that says much about the respect with which you are held by all members of this House. You understand its responsibility, you understand that we all come here, particularly on a day like today, expressing great hopes and noble intentions, but these are things that you have always lived—as a man, as a member of your community, in your family, as a friend and as a member of this House—and that is what best commends you to this role, more than any of each of us here.

You have a wise and calming presence in this place. The normal passions and the heat of the debate that occurs in this place you accept and you celebrate, but at the same time you temper us in those times when, of course, there is overreach.

In this role, Mr Speaker, you also do something which I think is truly great, and that is you honour and work so well with those who serve us in this chamber, and you lead them incredibly well. In congratulating you again on your elevation to Speaker today, I think you'd join me in also thanking all those who serve us in this House: the Serjeant-at-Arms, the clerks—and you'll forgive me by paying a particular thank you to the Clerk, David Elder, given what the Speaker advised us before the election; he wouldn't want us to indulge that moment too much, I know, but he enjoys the deep respect and gratitude of this House for his service—the attendants, the librarians, the cleaners, the drivers and all the support staff that make up the team that serve us here in this place. You lead that team, Mr Speaker, in your own inimitable way. Those who work for the parliament watch over this institution. They don't just serve us, the members, but more importantly they serve the Australian people. As we come together here for this first time in this place, we all know that our focus should be not on the people who are inside this building but, indeed, to serve those who are outside this building who will always remain our focus.

We thank you again, in advance, for your work in shepherding this 46th Parliament as its Speaker. Mr Speaker, I look forward, and the government looks forward, to working with you as we have always done in the past. God bless, and I wish you all the best in your endeavours and responsibilities.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the opposition, I offer you my sincere congratulations on your re-election to the office of Speaker. I congratulate all those new members of parliament, and I say to them that you can be an MP without being a parliamentarian. The Speaker is indeed a parliamentarian in the truest sense of the Westminster tradition. You love this institution. You're passionate about it. And you bring great credit to all of us with the way that you conduct yourself.

Of course, we on this side of the House would have preferred a different result on 18 May, but I'm pleased to see that you're back in control of the House. You are as fair and impartial a Speaker on either side of politics as I've seen in my more than two decades in this House. Indeed, Mr Speaker, you are, for the third time, elected unopposed, having never been opposed. That is the first time that has occurred in more than a century, since the beginning of this parliament, going back to Federation. The fact that you've been nominated by the government side and seconded by the opposition side is to your credit, and I think will also be welcomed by Australians who want to see solutions rather than arguments wherever that is possible in this place.

Of course, from time to time it will be the case that there are arguments, but you've also always conducted yourself with diligence, grace and good humour, and that has assisted in focusing the attention of members of this House on outcomes, on what unites us rather than what divides us in the legitimate debates and contests over the future direction of this country that will take place. At times we will be passionate—I will be too, you might notice—but what we need to do always is to recognise that the standing orders and the procedures that are in place are here so that those debates are conducted in ways that produce outcomes and really focus on the needs of the Australian people rather than on ourselves. And you have always conducted yourself in that way.

Of course your task is more than just chairing the parliament. As the Prime Minister has said, you also lead the parliament in terms of the officers, the clerks and all who work to make this institution operate on a day-to-day basis, and you do that in a way which has always been consultative, particularly over some difficult issues. National security is a much greater issue today than it was when I and you were elected all those years ago, so it's important to get that balance between security and the openness of a parliament where people can come along and can hear debates and participate in those national needs.

Your job also is to be the representative of the parliament, of all of us, which is why it's important that you've been elected unopposed. I've welcomed you to my electorate on two occasions; you attended Birchgrove Public School and spoke to the young primary school kids there. And I know that you've travelled to places like Broken Hill and right around the country to talk to schoolchildren. I think it's a really good sign, particularly when you've been welcomed into electorates not held by government members, that they get to see that what they see on the nightly news, the 30-second grab, isn't everything that happens in this place, and, indeed, that the institutions of parliament and Westminster democracy are things that we shouldn't take for granted.

Australians do understand that politics is about a contest of ideas. I'm convinced that Australians do want fewer arguments and more outcomes. You've achieved an outcome today, which is a good one for you but also a good one for the parliament. And I say, on behalf of Labor, to the Prime Minister that our nation looks to see what we can deliver for them in the 46th Parliament. I'm up for it, we're up for it; let's begin later today.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Congratulations on your re-election, Mr Speaker. You are fair, sometimes even funny. You are measured, you are considered, you are impartial. You are everything a Speaker should be. And you're the only Speaker in the parliament who has not thrown me out since I arrived here in 2010—there's always time! Mr Speaker, I don't even think you've threatened to throw me out under section 94(a). The member for Parkes did, when he was Deputy Speaker, filling in the—

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

Yes, Member for Sydney, there is still time! But the then member for Mackellar threw me out. But, on behalf of the National Party and certainly on behalf of rural and regional Australia, I want to say congratulations. I want to say good luck.

I don't give up private conversations with other members of parliament, but I'm going to because I know the person! I'm going to publicly and at the despatch box. It was the member for Grayndler. We were sitting on a plane going to Sydney one time and, in a free and frank conversation, the member for Grayndler said, 'Tony Smith is a very, very good Speaker—a very good Speaker,' and he extolled your virtues, as I do today. I know that you care deeply about the Westminster system. I know that you care deeply about tradition. I know that you care deeply about future. And I know also that you care deeply about rural and regional Australia, which of course is so important for me, for the National Party in particular, for the government and, indeed, for all parliamentarians, particularly at this time of drought. The Speaker has, on several occasions, phoned me to ask about my own electorate, to ask about the ongoing implications of the drought for all those rural and regional electorates so badly affected by this prolonged dry spell.

That's the measure of the man. We have re-elected him. We wish him well. We know you'll do a good job in this 46th Parliament. Congratulations.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It really is fantastic to be able to give you my well wishes and my congratulations in your election to the speakership today. As you know, we have been friends and known each other for more than 30 years, attending, as we did together, the University of Melbourne. I remember that, back in 1988, I was the president of the student representative council, having been elected as a member of the Labor club. The giants who roamed this stage in those days were the likes of Graham Richardson and Robert Ray, and they had a certain prowess as numbers people, which I think in your eyes—probably unreasonably—gave an aura that rubbed off on me.

I remember you bounced into my office, as I was the president of the SRC at the time. You bounced into my office and you said 'Mate, I'm going to be running for the president of the Liberal club this afternoon.' 'That's good.' You said, 'So this meeting isn't happening.' I said, 'Sure.' And you said, 'Mate, if you ever tell anybody about this, I'm going to deny it'! 'Yeah, no worries.' 'But mate, you're a Labor guy. Tell me how to do the numbers!' I can assure you that the Speaker did go on to become the president of the Liberal club that afternoon. Given the oath that you've just taken, Mr Speaker, which of course prevents you from misleading this House, you will not be able to deny this story going forward!

I said to you when you became the Speaker for the first time that it really was a thrill for those of us who have known you and been friends with you over that period of time. Your politics have always been hopeless, but you have been a wonderful guy! And we have watched you blossom in this role—and you most certainly have—to become one of the really great Speakers that this nation has seen, which has led to an honour today in being elected unopposed, and now you will serve in this role for a really significant period of time, which will put you at the very top of the list of people who have contributed as Speaker of this place. I can just say to you, as a lifelong friend: for me to watch you in this role has been an absolute thrill.

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would also like to add my congratulations on your re-election to the role of Speaker in the 46th Parliament of the House of Representatives. Of course, great democracies like ours are often described as rules based systems, and I recall a lecturer in law school, in an arcane unit called civil procedure, which many in this House, including you, would have endured, saying something to the affect that 'Rules were at the heart of civil procedure and civil procedure was at the inescapable heart of the law.' I remember thinking at the time: 'This unit sounds completely awful!' Indeed a genuine affinity for civil procedure is a very uncommon thing. Also, it could be said that as parliament is at the heart of democracy so the observance of rules of engagement is always at the heart of parliament.

I further remember that upon first meeting you, Mr Speaker, in the context of one of the many committees that abound in this place, I was struck immediately by the sense of just having met one of those truly rare people who deeply and authentically possess a foundational respect—indeed an almost romantic commitment—to process, rules and procedure. That commitment is as rare as it is unfakeable. The broad recognition that we are fortunate to have a parliamentarian with a genuine love of our history and procedure in this most important of roles is evident by the manner of your re-election unopposed.

So, Mr Speaker, viva la procedure! The government benches look forward to abiding, with unending enthusiasm, with the wisdom of your rulings.

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

Mr Speaker, you've made history today. We shouldn't let the significance of what's happened today be lost in the moment. The first Speaker in Federation, Speaker Holder, was never opposed and was elected three times unopposed; no subsequent Speaker has managed that until today. It speaks volumes for how you have handled the role. While a dissent motion is not a confidence motion, dissent motions have been relatively routine, and more so over the years. Speaker Holder never had a dissent motion against one of his rulings and never had a vote of no confidence moved against him. You have achieved the same. So we shouldn't lose the significance of what has happened today in the parliament.

Mr Speaker, you have been absolutely consistent in rulings. There have been moments where I've taken a point of order and I haven't liked the ruling, but whatever you've ruled—whether it's worked for the government or this side—you've kept the consistency and predictability of your interpretation of the standing orders. You've also allowed the debate to flourish. I acknowledge the presence in the chamber of your predecessor, former Speaker Bishop. One of the comments that was often made from the chair during her time was: 'We are not just some polite debating society; we are a parliament.' You have allowed the robustness of that debate—the fierceness of that debate—to flourish, and you have allowed, at all times, the debate on the floor to be the issue rather than yourself.

There are many times for members of parliament when someone—be it on that side, on this side or on the crossbench—goes through a very difficult time. We talk about the procedural role in here, but when that's occurred, there has effectively been, let's call it a pastoral role, where you have taken an interest in the welfare of every member in this place. Those members who have been helped by that reaching out at different points know who they are. What it has shown is that you have had a determination, both to respect the precedents of this place—to keep the order and administration of this place—and to be a Speaker for every one of what used to be the 149 and is now the 150 people that you look out over. It's because of the way that you've handled that role that today you've made history in a way that no Speaker of this parliament, since the first parliament, has been able to. You should be commended for that.

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, you recognise that there are other elements in this parliament except those on your left and those on your right—that we are people up here—and we deeply appreciate that. I appreciate the personal interest you've taken in me. You have given me holidays on at least two occasions, and I thank you sincerely! I think we'll all endeavour to work cooperatively with you coming into the future. I think it is important that people in this place represent their constituencies, and that's particularly true of the people on the crossbenches. You've respected that, and we haven't always had that respected. I would crave a little less attention to myself, Mr Speaker!

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members, can I say what an honour and humbling experience it is to have been elected again as your Speaker—elected for the third time unopposed—and to be nominated today by the member for Robertson, with that nomination seconded by the member for Calwell. I thank you both for your very kind words during your nomination speeches.

I thank the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and everyone who has spoken for their very kind and humbling words. To the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, thank you for the history and for everything you said. I'm sure you'll get the call at some point during this parliament! We'll ponder that!

To the 27 new members, I know this is such a special day for all of you. As I said when we met last week, it is a rare and special honour to be a member of this House of Representatives. You take the number of members who've served in the House of Representatives since Federation to 1,203. That's something we all should reflect on every day that we're here. It really is a rare and special honour.

A number of the speeches—the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition—pointed out that this is a debating chamber, and it is. It's the arena where the battle of ideas and ideals take place. It's right that it should be vigorous and passionate and robust. In fact, there has just been a hard-fought election where members from different political parties have expressed different views on the best way forward for Australia, and they've been elected, so it would be strange if there was unanimous agreement on every single issue after an election. Indeed, it wouldn't be representative democracy at its best. But, of course, it is important that the arguments—vigorous, passionate and robust as they are—are carried out in a dignified way. It's important that there's a balance in all of that. I've always sought as Speaker to try to get the balance right and to be as fair and predictable as I can be. Obviously, question time is very much the focal point of the day—that 70 minutes where that contest is at its most intense. I do think that there are aspects of question time that we can all improve on, but today is not the day to talk about those matters.

Once again, I thank you for the incredible honour of being your Speaker and I look forward very much to presiding over this House in the days, weeks and years that follow in the 46th Parliament. Thank you so much.