It was with great pleasure I was given the opportunity to second the nomination of the Member for Casey, Tony Smith, as Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 46th Parliament. I had the opportunity to work with the Member for Casey as a Member of the Speaker’s Panel in the 45th Parliament and it was clear to us that he was determined to ensure that the integrity of the office of Speaker, and indeed the integrity and dignity of the House of Representatives chamber was upheld at all times.

As Speaker, Tony faithfully adheres to the implementations of the House of Representatives Practice and he was both thoughtful and fair in his deliberations and decisions. There were times when he was truly challenged, but he always managed to remain calm and unfazed. As such, he has earned the respect and confidence of this place. Tony and I both entered Parliament in the class of 2001, two newly elected members from Victoria. And although we share a love for Carlton FC, I by no means share his integrity and enthusiasm for V8 Holden Monaros and restoring Holden panel cans because as the Member for Calwell, I have to remind him and everyone else in here that we were once Ford!