Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

Thanks very much, Mr Speaker. I rise to wish you well and to say that I respect your decision and understand how much you care about your electorate. Indeed, we first met as members of the health and ageing committee of the House of Representatives a couple of decades ago now. Since then, but particularly since your rise to the Speakership, we have now a friendship based upon, I would hope, mutual respect. Certainly in my case, that is there. I think that the Speaker is an incredibly important role in this parliament.

Mr Speaker, a word that I would use to describe you, which I regard as an honourable word, is 'parliamentarian'. Not everybody who comes to this place is a parliamentarian. You are. You respect the traditions and the history of the Westminster system, you have been an outstanding Speaker, you have been selected in that position twice unanimously and who knows what might have happened had you stayed on in that position in the future. But, I've said, on the record, even prior to your announcement that you weren't running again, that that was my position.

I also think that one of the things that you've understood is that a good speaker assists the government because order is there, but, most importantly, it supports a respect for our political processes, our cherished democracy, which we should not take for granted. Many of the countries in our region, including ones we have important relationships with, are not democracies, and we should not take it for granted. We should always, always cherish it. You have been one of the finest examples of parliamentarians of your generation. I wish you well. I'll have more to say at the appropriate time when we return on the Monday.

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