Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I wish to recommend Senator Ludlam as President of the Senate. He was first elected at the 2007 election and has since been a dedicated representative of the state of Western Australia, working hard to represent his constituents. He was re-elected at this election and is an active and engaged parliamentarian. He has distinguished committee service. He has been a prolific and effective participant in many committees and, through the process, he has initiated Australia's first national inquiry into public transport and inquiries into structural changes to the justice system and protections for privacy, particularly online. He has been a member of the Senate Standing Committee of Privileges. He has represented on numerous legislative and references committees, including Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade; Legal and Constitutional Affairs; and Environment and Communications. He has been on the Senate Select Committee on the NBN, the joint standing committees on Treaties and Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, and of course the Select Committee on Cyber Safety.

He has successfully represented this parliament overseas on delegations to Timor-Leste and also to China and Hong Kong. He has been a Greens spokesperson on many issues that have come before the Senate and a strong advocate on all these policy areas. But when he has been in the chair of the Senate he has demonstrated a considered, measured and impartial view of proceedings, and that is what we would seek from a President of the Senate. I do think that it is time that the idea that it is an automatic exchange between the government of the day and one opposition party has to change. The nation has made it clear that it wants its representative democracy to have a different make-up in the Senate, and I commend Senator Ludlam to the Senate as its next President.

The Clerk: If no other senator wishes to address the nominations, there being two nominations, in accordance with the standing orders, a ballot will be held. But before proceeding to a ballot, the bells will be rung for four minutes.

The bells having been rung—

The Clerk : The Senate will now proceed to ballot. Ballot papers will be distributed to all honourable senators, who are requested to write upon the paper the name of the candidate for whom they wish to vote. The candidates are Senator Parry and Senator Ludlam. I invite Senator Bushby and Senator Siewert to act as scrutineers.

A ballot having been taken—

The Clerk : The result of the ballot is as follows: Senator Parry, 63 votes; Senator Ludlam, 10 votes; two informal; and one absent. Senator Parry is therefore elected as President of the Senate in accordance with the standing orders.

Senator Parry having been conducted to the dais—

The PRESIDENT (Senator Parry) (10:45): Please be seated, colleagues. I am sorry it took so long to get to the chair, but I am supposed to show some reluctance! Thank you very much. I truly appreciate the honour that each of you has bestowed upon me. It is something that I do not take lightly. I intend to continue as I did as Deputy President and be impartial. That is fair warning to both sides and to the crossbenchers. I will be impartial in my role. I will take it very seriously. I will build upon the trust and the commitment that had already started in my previous role. I look forward to working with each of you as we move forward in this Senate, which has a different configuration to most others. I thank you for your warm wishes just then. I realise that this role is not only to preside over the parliament here in this chamber but also, jointly with the Speaker of the House, to preside over and administer the parliament estate. In that aspect, I intend to defend the parliament as being truly independent, especially independent from the executive government. I think that is an important aspect about every Presiding Officer. The executive government has a right to govern, and we must respect that, but, equally, the parliament itself should be independent from the executive. In that way, too, I think the funding and the financial aspects concerning the parliament should be brought back into the parliament and should not be with the executive government. However, I do acknowledge the executive government has a very important role to play in governing this country, with proper supervision, scrutiny and review from this parliament. Colleagues, thank you again. I understand that the Governor-General will be waiting to greet us shortly. I do appreciate the honour you have bestowed upon me and I look forward to working with you. I regard myself as your servant.