Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, can I just say that I am pleased this ballot is over! I start by congratulating you, Madam Speaker, on your elevation to high office, this great office which you now occupy. Having served on the panel with you, I have witnessed firsthand the good work that you have done as Deputy Speaker and standing in as Speaker. You have served this parliament extremely well and will continue to do so with distinction and with honour, and I look forward to working with you. One thing that we all pretty well agreed on yesterday and that we agree on today is the excellence with which you have discharged your duties, particularly in the last number of months in difficult circumstances. Madam Speaker, congratulations.

I would also like to congratulate the Deputy Speaker, the member for Maranoa. I think that he will perform his duties diligently and to the best of his abilities. Having served on the panel with him for a number of years now, I know that he is a great person for Deputy Speaker. Sometimes when we go into ballots we lose—that is part of our democracy, and it is fantastic—but I could not think of losing to a better person on the other side. So I congratulate the member for Maranoa as Deputy Speaker. I know that he will work diligently, with honour and distinction, as Deputy Speaker.

To my colleagues, I thank you all for nominating me, both as Deputy Speaker yesterday and as Second Deputy today. I endeavour to serve this parliament and the people of Australia to the highest of standards. When you think of this parliament and the positions that go with this parliament, it does not matter whether you are the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, the Second Deputy Speaker or a minister; it is an absolute honour and a privilege to serve in this House in any capacity. Anyone who thinks it is a right is here for the wrong reasons. So I can say that it is an absolute honour and a privilege to be the Second Deputy Speaker.

Regardless of the circumstances of this nomination and the machinations that took place, I look forward to assisting you, Madam Speaker, and the Deputy Speaker to the best of my abilities so that we ensure that this place operates and works well. The standing orders of this House, the rules of this chamber, have served our democracy extremely well for over 100 years. Even in difficult circumstances we have seen this place running smoothly.

There may be from time to time a bit of a ruckus, but the standing orders that have been put in place—the rules of the running of this chamber—have, even under difficult circumstances, served this democracy well. I look forward to serving with distinction and honour and look forward to working with the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, and all the speakers of the panel. Thank you.

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