Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the honourable member for Fisher do take the chair of this house as speaker.

It is an absolute privilege to speak in favour of my fellow Queenslander and friend the member for Fisher. The member for Fisher was originally from Victoria. He was born in Melbourne, but like many, he made the right decision to move to Queensland, where he and Leonie have raised their daughters. He worked tirelessly with the community to make sure that they were very well supported. Having visited his electorate many times, I've seen firsthand how very well regarded he is by a broad cross-section of the community. I've been delighted to be able to work with him to secure additional funding from the proceeds of crime for the Daniel Morcombe Foundation on the Sunshine Coast. He's been a big supporter and an advocate for Bruce and Denise Morcombe. They continue to work diligently to ensure children in Australia are safer.

The member for Fisher is an incredible example of a broadly experienced parliamentarian. He was a carpenter and a joiner-builder before becoming a barrister, and, of course, he is a husband and a father. He did all of that prior to becoming the elected representative for Fisher. He is exactly the sort of person who makes our parliament richer with the experience he brings to it. In his maiden speech, the member for Fisher made reference to the kind of society that he believes in, and which I'm sure members of all political persuasions would relate to and agree with, when he stated:

It is testament to our Australian egalitarian way of life that a once-carpenter and the son of a motor mechanic and fabric importer can come to serve the community in this place. In Australia, there are no class structures; there are no hereditary entitlements to sit in this place; there are business people, farmers, bankers, tradesmen, unionists and labourers, among many others, who are privileged to take their seats in this chamber.

I would urge the new members of parliament, particularly those new Independent members on the crossbench, to consider his experience as a previous Speaker of the House. This is, in a sense, the very first test of your independence. You don't have to vote for the government; you can make your own decision. You can consider the candidates on their merits. Having done the job admirably, the member for Fisher is clearly—clearly—the best-qualified candidate. Having done the job, he's very well placed to deliver the kind of impartial guidance that the House needs going forward. Consider, also, his years of service across multiple parliamentary committees, including as Chair of the House Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities; Chair of the House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs; Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services; and Chair of the Defence Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.

Finally, in nominating the member for Fisher in November last year, my colleague the member for Berowra made a number of observations, including that the member for Fisher is very much his own person and that he is a deep thinker and a true parliamentarian. I agree. He is a thoroughly decent individual and exactly the sort of person who epitomises the qualities of a true, respectful and observant Speaker in the traditional mould. He served the last parliament with grace and fairness. If we are to make this 47th Parliament more productive and collegiate, surely we should be electing the best person for the job in this vital role.

It is with great pleasure that I nominate the member for Fisher to take the chair of this House as Speaker.

The Clerk : Is the motion seconded?

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