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

I second the nomination. The member for Wills commented about the member for McEwen and the member for Mackellar. This is my third parliament and I have not seen the member for Mackellar in the chair. The member for Wills said that, unfortunately, because of the direction of the then Leader of the Opposition no member of the opposition sat on the Speaker's panel apart from the member for Maranoa, who is a good and honourable man, who sat in the position as Deputy Speaker and did his job admirably. So I did not see the member for Mackellar in the chair in order for me to know how fair she could be. Obviously, a Speaker must be in love with democracy. They cannot use their role as a mechanism to wield power and promote or protect privilege. That is not what this chamber is for. The 150 people elected to this chamber have a solemn duty to their electorates, and that is about democracy. I have never seen the member for Mackellar sitting in the chair and being fair and impartial.

I think the Prime Minister said that the role should restore dignity. I take offence at that comment because the 43rd Parliament had dignity.

See this speech in context