George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—Mr President, it is a very big day for the announcement of important constitutional officers. Some three hours ago, the government announced the appointment of the 13th Chief Justice of Australia, and you have just announced the appointment of the 14th Clerk of the Senate. On behalf of government senators, I wish to offer my warmest congratulations to Richard Pye on his selection. Without any disrespect to the other candidates, I think I can say that Richard Pye was the outstanding—indeed, in many ways, the obvious—choice for promotion to the role of Clerk of the Senate.

Richard graduated with degrees in economics and law from the University of Sydney, and he has spent almost all of his career in public service. He first became a member of the Senate staff in 1992, almost 25 years ago. Because this is a 10-year, non-renewable appointment, and as Richard has indicated that it would be his intention to serve the full 10 years, by the time his service to the Australian Senate expires he will have served the Senate for almost 35 years. That is not unique, but it is exceptional. In the modern age it is very, very rare indeed.

Those of us on the government side of the chamber who have come to know and deal with Richard Pye over the years have found him exemplary. He is gracious; he is gentlemanly; he is helpful; he is an authority on Senate practice; he is engaging—he is everything that one would wish an office holder of such an important and, in many ways, sensitive office to be. On behalf of government senators, I congratulate Richard very warmly. He is a popular figure in this chamber. He is one of the characters of the place, and, although not a public figure in the way that politicians are, he is every bit as much a part of the Senate as those of us who serve as senators. We wish him well in what I am sure will be a distinguished term.

There will be another occasion, as you mentioned, to express our deep, deep appreciation for the service of Dr Rosemary Laing, the retiring Clerk of the Senate. But that can be a matter for another day.