Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to make, if I may, some brief remarks to congratulate Senator McLachlan on his election as Deputy President on behalf of the—

An honourable senator interjecting

government. I'm still getting used to saying that! There might be a few faux pas for a little while!

I did note this morning, following the election of President, the longstanding convention as to the government of the day nominating the President and the opposition of the day nominating the Deputy President and Chair of Committees. I want to make a comment about that, because there were a couple of interjections. It's a reflection of the Westminster system. It's a reflection that, under our system, a party forms government and a party forms opposition. A party forms opposition. If somebody else formed a government or an opposition one day, the same convention presumably would apply. It reflects—

Honourable senators interjecting—