Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the honourable member for Casey do take the chair of this House as Speaker.

It is my privilege to be able to nominate the member for Casey as Speaker today, particularly as in the 44th Parliament and the 45th Parliament I had the honour of seconding his nomination alongside my friend the member for Deakin, and of serving on the Speaker's Panel during this time. The member for Casey has been a personal friend for a number of years now and was a willing mentor when I was first elected to this place as the member for Robertson in 2013. But indeed, I am not alone in calling the member for Casey a friend. Many of us would consider him so, yet it has not prevented him from calling upon standing order 94(a) when needed, which a number of members in this House would be familiar with today—perhaps some more so than others.

During his time as Speaker, the member for Casey has been fearless and impartial with his rulings. I can think of no-one being more qualified or deserving to take the chair as Speaker, as he is able to balance the robust nature of debate in this House with the dignity and respect for our parliamentary traditions, while still bringing his quick wit and personality to this place. The member for Casey is well known for his love of political history, but I also draw to the attention of the House his love of the history of motor vehicles. In 2017 the member for Casey rightly cemented his reputation as one of the parliament's biggest revheads by immortalising in the parliamentary record a question from the member for McMahon, as he ruled it out of order by simply saying—I don't think I can do the tone of the way that the member for Casey does this, but I will do my best:

Let me put it in more simple language: you cannot come along with a Holden badge and stick it on a Mazda and say it is a Holden. The question is out of order.

The role of Speaker is, no doubt, with its challenges, but the member for Casey has always acted impartially, with grace and with fairness—sometimes, no doubt, to the chagrin of members of this side of the House—and he embodies the dignity of this office and the rich heritage of this place. He will serve the parliament and the people of Australia in a manner of which we can all be proud, and he brings considerable experience as an outstanding advocate for his community, as a distinguished parliamentarian, as a mentor and as a leader. It is with great honour that I commend the member for Casey's nomination to the House.

The Clerk: Is the nomination seconded?

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