Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I put forward the idea that the member for McEwen can maintain the dignity and respect of the chair. It would also let the member for Maranoa concentrate on his electorate—defending that margin—where the Labor Party has taken a bit of skin off him.

The member for McEwen would obviously provide a lot of experience, having sat on the Speaker's panel previously. His becoming Deputy Speaker would be in keeping with the document signed by the member for Sturt saying that the Deputy Speaker should actually be a member of the opposition—a piece of paper by the member for Sturt, in writing, said that the Deputy Speaker should be from the opposition. In that context, obviously the Deputy Speaker should be the member for McEwen. We should honour that piece of writing put forward by the member for Sturt. I would be happy to table that document signed by the member for Sturt. It is in writing. It would be a great gesture from the Prime Minister and from you, Madam Speaker, to indicate a new spirit of bipartisanship in this 44th Parliament. I do not in any way mean to detract from the qualities of the member for Maranoa; he is a gentleman, someone that I trust. I was at the theatre with him last weekend, in fact. Sorry to say that, Member for Maranoa! I would ask you and all of your colleagues to support the nomination of the member for McEwen because he would bring great vitality to the role. He has, occasionally, been thrown out of the parliament, but only two times in the 43rd Parliament. As you well know, Madam Speaker, being thrown out two times in the 43rd Parliament, in a robust parliament, is not a stain on his character at all. So I would ask members to consider the member for McEwen as Deputy Speaker rather than the member for Maranoa.

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