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

I rise on behalf of the government to congratulate you on your election as President of the Senate. At the outset, I note the longstanding convention that the government of the day has the right to nominate the President of the Senate, and I thank the chamber for its continued respect of this convention.

In making this nomination, the government has nominated a senator who is appropriately qualified and suited to the significant responsibility that comes with occupying the chair of the Senate as President. As people know, Senator Lines has served the chamber since 2013, as Deputy President and Chair of Committees since 2016, and I have no doubt that her experience over these terms will serve her well as she takes on this responsibility.

I also make the point about the operation of the convention and the operation of this chamber. This can be a partisan place; we've all been part of that. But I always regard it as a matter of pride that in this place these elections, certainly between the parties of government, observe some of the principles that I think matter to our Westminster system, and both parties of government have always ensured that the party, notwithstanding that neither of us ever has the numbers in its own right, except on one occasion since I've been here, always observes its obligation to the system and to the conventions which underpin it, so I thank the Senate.

I make another point. I was elected quite a long time ago now, as people keep reminding me, and I remember that the first Senate President I served under was Margaret Reid. She was the first woman to serve as Senate President—I think between 1996 and 2002—and I acknowledge that it was the coalition who nominated the first woman. She held the respect and support of all senators, and I'm confident Senator Lines will do so and will be able to expect the same across the Senate. It's taken a long time, but I'm pleased that we see yet another woman serving in this high office.

I'm confident Senator Lines will represent the interests of the Senate and the parliament as a whole, particularly when it comes to matters of privilege. I'm confident she will join her predecessors as a principal defender of the role and authority of the Senate in relation to the other place. So, on behalf of the government, I congratulate you, Senator Lines. President, we wish you every success in this most important of roles.