Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Clerk, I remind the Senate that the time has come when it is necessary for the Senate to choose one of its members to become President. I propose Senator Parry, and I move:

That Senator Parry take the chair of the Senate as President.

The Clerk: Are there any further nominations?

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

Madam Clerk, I propose to the Senate, for its President, Senator Ludlam, and I move:

That Senator Ludlam take the chair of the Senate as President.

The Clerk: I invite each candidate to address the Senate.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Clerk. I submit myself to the will of the Senate.

Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Clerk, I also submit myself to the will of the Senate. I want to acknowledge that the reason we are doing this is that much of what happens in this place is governed by statute and by standing orders and some of it is governed by convention and habit. In this instance, we want to make the point that the crossbenchers are an important part of this chamber and that it should not be an automatic assumption that either of the major parties should simply be handed one of these positions. There are 25 Labor senators and 18 crossbenchers, the largest number of crossbenchers that there has been in this place. We believe that, as part of the increasing diversity of this place, the crossbenchers should put themselves forward—it will not always be a Green—for positions such as this.

The Clerk: Does any other senator wish to address the nominations?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Clerk, I submit to the Senate that Senator Parry is well qualified to be our President. He has been Deputy President and Chair of Committees for more than three years and has frequently acted in the office of President during the absence of our former President, President Hogg.

Before being elected Deputy President, Senator Parry held a number of offices connected with the management of this chamber. He has built a reputation in this place as a consultative and reliable parliamentarian from his time first as Deputy Government Whip then as chief whip in both government and opposition, including a stint as Manager of Opposition Business. He first occupied the chair in 2008 as a temporary chairman of committees and was elected Deputy President and Chairman of Committees in 2011. He held that office with distinction. Senator Parry is regarded as someone who is impartial in the chair and who conducts himself as a senator in the best traditions of this place. I have great pleasure in commending the nomination of Senator Parry to honourable senators.

The Clerk: Does any other senator wish to address the nominations?

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to 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.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President—and what a delight it is to be able to officially call you 'Mr President'!—I have the privilege to officially congratulate you on your election as our President. The regard in which you are held by honourable senators is reflected in the decision taken by the Senate today. If I may be parochial just for a moment, I note that, apart from being our 24th President, you are the fourth to come from the state of Tasmania. You follow John Blyth Hayes, of the United Australia Party; Justin O'Byrne, of the Australian Labor Party; and Paul Calvert, of the Liberal Party. I know that in a former life you served as an officer of the law. I also note that President Hayes had a prison named after him in Tasmania. I interpret all of that as a signal that we should all behave in the Senate because the President might know what to do if we do not! And, just in case that does not work, I note that the other occupation that you held before entering this place was that of an undertaker!

On a personal note, I know this is a very special day for your parents, your wife, Allison, and your children. I am sure they are very proud, as they ought to be, of your achievement in being elected to this high office by your peers. Your predecessor, President Hogg, said to us only a few days ago, in his 'non-valedictory statement', that he valued the relationship he had with you in managing this chamber and in all the other activities that a Presiding Officer undertakes outside the actual meetings of the Senate. It would be accurate to say, especially in this Canberra winter, that the President's job is a bit like the proverbial iceberg—90 per cent of it is not immediately visible. I know you will represent the Australian Senate well and continue the distinguished traditions that have been built up since 1901. On behalf of the government, the Senate and—if I might say—as a friend, I congratulate you and wish you well in the new role on which you embark today.

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

Mr President, as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, I also rise to congratulate you on your election. As you are well aware, the Senate has a key role in Australia's democracy, a key role in the nation's democracy, a role that reflects the very different configuration that the Senate has as a matter of course—not only this Senate—from that of the House of Representatives, where government is formed. The Senate is the chamber where there is much greater scrutiny applied to legislation, to policy. It is the chamber where committee work that is important to consideration of a legislative agenda is done. It is the chamber—let us be frank—where executive government is held to account in a way it cannot be in the House of Representatives. Because of that, fairness and impartiality need to be brought to the position you now hold. I know, from working with you in your previous role as Deputy President, that you hold a deep respect for the role the Senate has in the nation's democracy. On behalf of Labor senators, on behalf of the opposition, I congratulate you on your election.

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

Mr President, I congratulate you on behalf of the Australian Greens on your election as the President of the Senate. We came into this Senate at the same time, and I have observed the service that you have given to the Senate, the parliament and the Australian people over that time. I wish you all the very best in serving the parliament and working with the Senate. I particularly welcome the remarks that you have made about standing up for the parliament against the executive. That is critical. I particularly note your reference to servicing and funding those roles. I look forward to working with you in supporting that outcome. It is going to be a challenging and new period for the Senate in Australia, but it is going to be one of the most democratic. I look forward to working with you, upholding our democracy and representing the people in the best way we all can.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I add my very warm congratulations on your election. You have always been decent and fair in my dealings with you and I am sure that that will continue in your role as President. I too am very heartened by your comments about the importance of the Senate keeping the executive to account and the importance of this place as an institution. Finally, Mr President, I can make this observation: during question time, when things are unruly it is always the major parties. Now that there are more crossbenchers, I am sure this place will run much more smoothly.

Glenn Lazarus (Queensland, Palmer United Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Palmer United Party and all my Senate colleagues, I would like to congratulate you on your appointment to the office of President and we look forward to working with you.

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on behalf of the Nationals to congratulate you on your ascension to President. Most people in this place have known you for quite a long time. With your character and the relationship many have had with you over time from all sides of the Senate, we have a great deal of confidence you are going to bring a completely even hand to this place. Congratulations.

John Madigan (Victoria, Democratic Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Congratulations on your appointment. I welcome your comments about the role and independence of the Senate. I am sure you will make a great contribution to the parliament.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to inform honourable senators that His Excellency the Governor-General will be pleased to receive you, Mr President, and such honourable senators as desire, to accompany him in the Members' Hall immediately.

The sitting of the Senate will be suspended to enable the presentation of the President and senators to the Governor-General .

At noon, the sitting of the Senate will resume .

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

took the chair at 12:00, read prayers and made an acknowledgement of country.

I have to report that, accompanied by honourable senators, this morning I presented myself to the Governor-General as the choice of the Senate as President. The Governor-General congratulated me upon my election and presented me with a commission to administer to senators the oath or affirmation of allegiance. I table the commission.