Harry Jenkins (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I second the motion, and I thank the member for Petrie for allowing me to the second the nomination. The member for Hindmarsh, Steve Georganas, has a big task today, for, if he fails today—twice in two days, Steve—I think it will be a very, very bad thing! But I looked at your CV and I thought, 'Anybody that survived being a taxidriver in South Australia can do lots of things.' I then saw 'Ministerial adviser to Jay Weatherill'. You have made sure that he has gone on to bigger and better things, so now is the hour for you to see that you get a deserved position in this place. I know that, if you are elected to the position of Second Deputy Speaker, your mentor John Trainer will make sure that you are well and truly versed in the way in which you should carry out your duties. I have witnessed the way in which former Speaker Trainer has liked to advise people about how they do their job. Now that there is a level playing field in this election and you are able to be nominated, it will be in the hands of the House to decide who is elected as Second Deputy Speaker. Yesterday, when the member for New England rose to nominate the member for Maranoa, I thought, Steve, that you had a problem. The fact that the member for Sturt nominated somebody else perhaps was out of some 'vindictiveness'—and, Hansard, please put that in inverted commas—a South Australian thing, but we allow these rivalries across the chamber from within states. I am sure that you will do a good job.

Can I use this opportunity, Speaker Burke, to congratulate you. I wish you all the best. I know that you will capably control the affairs within the chamber and I know that you will carry out your duties in administrating the affairs throughout the building with great distinction. I am amongst a whole host of people that are very proud to see you in the Speaker's chair.

To beam me up, I turn to the member for Maranoa—I nearly said 'marijuana' or 'marinara'! I also congratulate the Deputy Speaker on taking his high office. The fact that he got there after being defeated twice is a great credit to him.

I congratulate the member for Fisher on his period as Speaker, but more importantly I congratulate and thank him for his actions of yesterday, which were well and truly out of an interest in protecting the institution of Speaker. Many of us are not put to this type of test. For the former Speaker to do what he did yesterday, to go beyond his personal feelings, was a great credit to him as a member of this place. He now becomes the immediate past Speaker. That means that there needs to be a new title for a certain member of the House. I am willing to become the 'Speaker mentor', but that is for others to decide!

In conclusion, I hope that the House will give its support to the member for Hindmarsh, and then the team of Speaker Burke, Deputy Speaker Scott and Second Deputy Speaker Georganas can fulfil the required task of restoration, reformation and modernisation of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Australia.

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