Assistant-Speakers
Page: 21
Election
Ms LINDA BURNEY (Canterbury—Minister for Fair Trading, Minister for Youth, and Minister for Volunteering) [3.57 p.m.]: Congratulations, Mr Speaker. I move:
That Alison Patricia Megarrity be elected Assistant-Speaker.
Mrs BARBARA PERRY (Auburn—Minister for Juvenile Justice, Minister for Western Sydney, and Minister Assisting the Premier on Citizenship) [3.57 p.m.]: I second the motion.
Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI (Murrumbidgee) [3.57 p.m.]: I move:
That Malcolm John Kerr be elected Assistant-Speaker.
Mr BRAD HAZZARD (Wakehurst) [3.58 p.m.]: I second the motion.
Mr MATT BROWN (Kiama—Minister for Housing, and Minister for Tourism) [3.58 p.m.]: I move:
That Grant Anthony McBride be elected Assistant-Speaker.
Mr DAVID CAMPBELL (Keira—Minister for Police, and Minister for the Illawarra) [3.58 p.m.]: I second the motion.
Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI (Murrumbidgee) [3.58 p.m.]: This is an opportunity to extend the new era of impartiality, which we have entered by electing an Independent member as Speaker, by appointing an Opposition member as Assistant-Speaker. We remain opposed to having two Assistant-Speakers, but this is an opportunity for the Government, particularly the Premier, to support the election of an Opposition member as Assistant Speaker. There is an Independent Speaker and a Labor Deputy-Speaker. It is appropriate for a Coalition member to be Assistant-Speaker. Given the Government's insistence on having two Assistant-Speakers, we will be gracious enough to allow it to have one of the Assistant-Speakers. Mr Speaker, we are entering a new era, and the Coalition certainly intends to work with you to improve the standard of this House. The Opposition believes having a Coalition member as Assistant-Speaker will assist you in your desire to make this Chamber impartial for the benefit of the people of New South Wales. I commend the Coalition's nomination.
Mr JOHN AQUILINA (Riverstone) [4.00 p.m.]: Mr Speaker, first of all I congratulate you on your election as Speaker. I also congratulate you on one of the very first decisions you have taken, and that is to appoint two members of the Opposition as temporary Speakers. That in itself shows quite dramatically your own impartiality. It also shows that this House is going to unprecedented lengths to ensure impartiality in the application of the standing orders and sessional orders. In relation to the Assistant-Speaker positions, the Opposition has taken us through not one but two votes in opposing the election of a second Assistant-Speaker. Now they want one of those positions. First they oppose its establishment, and now they say, yes, we will take one, thank you, even though we do not agree with it—in fact we oppose it. One thing the Coalition has to learn, despite this great spirit of impartiality, is that Labor won government. The House will decide precisely what the sessional orders are and who will be the Assistant-Speakers. We have three nominations for Assistant-Speaker, with two to be elected, and the House will decide who will fill those positions.
Mr CHRIS HARTCHER (Terrigal) [4.02 p.m.]: Here we have the ultimate political pay-off: a troglodyte is elected Deputy-Speaker, a Terrigal is to be Assistant-Speaker, and every little subfaction is to be accommodated. The former Speaker, who was dumped by the Premier through the pages of the Sydney Morning Herald, is to get his reward as Leader of the Government. Every child player gets a prize—and aren't there a lot of children over there! They are all lining up for their Chair of Committee prizes. Wait until members see the list of Chairs of Committees! They will all be getting their little prizes by just staying in their subfactions. The troglodytes have the Deputy-Speaker's job and that is all, because most of those on the Government side, other than the token representatives of the Left, are all from the Terrigal faction. The Terrigals rule; the troglodytes take a back seat.
The member for Mount Druitt was given the great honour of moving that a member of his subfaction get the Deputy-Speaker's job. Wasn't that a nice little gesture by the member to move that! You finally got something, after you had been passed over for the ministry, and after members who came to this place long after you all lined up for ministerial positions. That is the way it was. It has nothing to do with merit, and nothing to do with qualifications. It has everything to do with where you are in the factional ladder of opportunity. What a glorious list it is! They are all lined up to get their rewards. But do not despair, because there are Chair of Committee jobs coming up. There are the good ones that will take you overseas on those comfortable trips. They will all be yours, but they will be allocated strictly in accordance with the golden rule: factions first, then the subfactions, then you get your chance. So much for the new spirit in this House!
Mr Speaker, we all congratulate you. We all wish for a new spirit, but it has not taken long for all the snouts to get in the trough. They are all lined up. It has not taken long for the standing orders to be suspended. It has not taken long for the former Speaker to remind us of the fact, if we were not already aware of it, that Labor won government and the Government will use its numbers between now and March 2011 to kick us in the teeth at every opportunity. You get your chance, and you will use it. You, Mr Speaker, will be the fig leaf of democracy under which they shroud their activity. While we have the greatest hopes for you, we do have the feeling that you are being used and eventually will end up being abused. The factions have had their say. The troglodytes have got one job, the Terrigals are all there at the trough and are all dining. You token little lefties have your opportunity, and we will see how you use it.
The SPEAKER: Order! I thank the member for Terrigal. However, I invite him to make future contributions through the Chair.
Question—That Alison Patricia Megarrity be elected Assistant-Speaker—put and resolved in the affirmative.
Motion agreed to.
The SPEAKER: I declare Alison Patricia Megarrity elected Assistant-Speaker.
Question—That Malcolm John Kerr be elected Assistant-Speaker—put.
The House divided.
Ayes, 34
Mr Aplin
Mr Baird
Mr Baumann
Ms Berejiklian
Mr Cansdell
Mr Constance
Mr Debnam
Mr Fraser
Ms Goward
Mrs Hancock
Mr Hartcher
Mr Hazzard | Ms Hodgkinson
Mrs Hopwood
Mr Humphries
Mr Kerr
Mr Merton
Mr O'Dea
Mr O'Farrell
Mr Piccoli
Mr Provest
Mr Richardson
Mr Roberts
Mrs Skinner | Mr Smith
Mr Souris
Mr Stokes
Mr Stoner
Mr J. H. Turner
Mr R. W. Turner
Mr J. D. Williams
Mr R. C. Williams
Tellers,
Mr George
Mr Maguire |
Noes, 54
Mr Amery
Ms Andrews
Mr Aquilina
Ms Beamer
Mr Borger
Mr Brown
Ms Burney
Ms Burton
Mr Campbell
Mr Collier
Mr Coombs
Mr Corrigan
Mr Costa
Mr Daley
Ms D'Amore
Mr Draper
Mrs Fardell
Ms Firth
Ms Gadiel | Mr Gibson
Mr Greene
Mr Harris
Ms Hay
Mr Hickey
Ms Hornery
Mr Iemma
Ms Judge
Ms Keneally
Mr Khoshaba
Mr Koperberg
Mr Lynch
Mr McBride
Dr McDonald
Ms McKay
Mr McLeay
Ms McMahon
Ms Meagher
Ms Megarrity | Mr Morris
Mrs Paluzzano
Mr Pearce
Mrs Perry
Mr Rees
Mr Sartor
Mr Shearan
Mr Stewart
Ms Tebbutt
Mr Terenzini
Mr Tripodi
Mr Watkins
Mr West
Mr Whan
Tellers,
Mr Ashton
Mr Martin |
Question resolved in the negative.
Motion negatived.
Question—That Grant Anthony McBride be elected Assistant Speaker—put and resolved in the affirmative.
Motion agreed to.
The SPEAKER: I declare Grant Anthony McBride elected Assistant-Speaker. I congratulate him on that election.