Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on behalf of the opposition on this motion of condolence on the passing of the Hon. Robert George Halverson. We join with the Leader of the Government in the Senate in conveying our thoughts to his wife and family at this time. Today we remember Bob Halverson, and we recognise and honour his service: his service to this nation, his service as a member of parliament from 1984 to 1998, his service as Speaker of the House of Representatives and, of course, his service as Ambassador to Ireland and the Holy See.

Prior to his election to the House of Representatives in 1984, Mr Halverson served with the Royal Australian Air Force. He enjoyed a distinguished career, enlisting as an officer cadet in 1956 and concluding in 1981 at the rank of group captain. For his service with the RAF during the Queen's silver jubilee, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. After leaving the Air Force—as Senator Brandis has said—he worked in the financial services sector for a brief period before being elected as the member for Casey in 1984.

In that election Bob Halverson defeated his Labor opponent after a redistribution turned a swing seat into one that held a little more advantage for the Liberals. However, in the end Mr Halverson, who had only joined the Liberal Party some two years prior to the election, won with a margin of 1,100 votes. Mr Halverson supported John Howard in opposition and served as Opposition Whip in the House of Representatives. As chief whip, he had a reputation for being an intimidating and effective operator.

Upon the election of the Howard government in 1996, Mr Halverson became the first Liberal Speaker of the House of Representatives since Sir Billy Snedden. I understand that the speakership did not come easily to him, with Mr Halverson receiving the endorsement of his colleagues after a party room meeting that involved some six ballots and lasted 90 minutes. I am sure there are stories associated with that! The Canberra Times heralded this with the headline '"Disciplinarian" Halverson wins Speaker's post'.

Mr Halverson did not follow his Liberal predecessors in the practice of wearing a wig in the Speaker's chair. He also ensured that the original Gothic Speaker's chair remained at Old Parliament House, despite the desire of some of his colleagues to see it relocated to the current House of Representatives.

Recognising the importance of the independence of the Speaker, he did not attend party room meetings and also resigned from two party bodies to which he belonged in Victoria. The independence of the speakership had been an election commitment of Prime Minister Howard. I note that the then Leader of the Opposition, Mr Kim Beazley, observed:

It did not strike us as immediately likely, when the Prime Minister … announced an intention to support an independent Speaker, that we would in fact find the Chief Whip of the Coalition parties sitting in that place.

However, despite these doubts, it turned out that Mr Halverson did operate in a way that demonstrated his independence and at times raised the ire of some of his colleagues through his performance in the chair, particularly through his enforcement of rules relating to supplementary questions. In one article in 1997 the headline was 'Independent Speaker digs in, against his own side'. And I note—Senator Brandis has already quoted—the words of the then opposition leader, Mr Beazley, complimenting and acknowledging the service of Mr Halverson.

Mr Halverson resigned as Speaker in March 1998 and did not contest the election that was held in October that year. Prior to the election, he was appointed as ambassador to Ireland and the Holy See, a post that brought considerable enjoyment after the rough and tumble of his parliamentary career. He was the first non-Catholic ambassador to Dublin and the Vatican. Sadly, it was whilst on this post that Mr Halverson discovered his illness.

Bob Halverson died last week at the age of 78 on his farm at Holbrook, in southern New South Wales. He spent a lifetime in the service of this country, in the Defence Force, in the parliament and as an ambassador. We recognise and honour his service, and I again express the condolences of the opposition and extend our thoughts to his wife, children and grandchildren.