The newly-installed 32nd Speaker of the House of Representatives Milton Dick has promised impartiality, an open door and a commitment to ensuring that Parliament House is a safe workplace.
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The Queensland Labor member for Oxley easily won a secret ballot on Tuesday ahead of the Coalition candidate and most recent speaker, Andrew Wallace 92 to 56. As per centuries old Westminster tradition, Mr Dick was dragged to the Speaker's chair by proposing and seconding colleagues Susan Templeman and Lisa Chester.
WA Labor senator Sue Lines was also elected as Senate president amid the pomp and ceremony of the first day of the 47th Parliament, with parliamentarians roughly split along party lines for adherence to non-mandatory face-mask recommendations in the chambers. Only a handful of Coalition MPs wore masks on Tuesday, while all of Labor and the Greens were masked.
Mr Dick, the brother of the Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick, said the position of presiding officer was an "enormous privilege" and he declared he wanted the House to be a chamber of ideas, energy and respect.
"It's probably fair to say every speaker has said these words of some way or another over the years, but the difference is the people of Australia have sent a very clear message on how they expect politics to be conducted," he told Parliament.
"They want something different and I'm trying to work with every member to see that change. But I need every member to commit to that change to make it work."
This includes the Albanese government policy of the full implementation of the recommendations of the Jenkins Review into parliamentary workplace culture.
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The Jenkins review found a toxic workplace culture, a deficit in leadership and that women are still under-represented in decision-making roles.
"In the last parliament, we saw the Jenkins review highlight the ways that this building has failed to keep its occupants safe. However, it also presented a roadmap to ensure that we protect the people that we are responsible for," Mr Dick said.
"I take my responsibilities as a presiding officer in implementing the recommendations of this report very seriously. And I look forward to working with the senate president and the incoming deputy speaker and all members to address this and other matters."
Mr Dick has promised impartiality in the chair, indicating he will not be attending ALP caucus meetings, following the practice of the past two speakers, Mr Wallace and Tony Smith.
He declared he was looking forward to working with every member of the House whether they be "red, blue, green or a mixture of blue and green".
"Some of you belong to parties. Some of you are independent. But to me as speaker, you are all members of the House of Representatives elected by your constituents to represent their interests," the new Speaker said.
"My message to every member in this place is simple - my door is open."
First elected to the western Brisbane seat of Oxley in 2016, Mr Dick was formerly a Brisbane City councillor and Queensland Labor state secretary.
He was described by his proposing colleagues as a generous soul, thoughtful, reasonable and a careful listener who has a "prodigious memory for numbers".
"I have no doubt he would earn this place's respect in his role as Speaker," Ms Templeman told Parliament.