Opening of Parliament

SPEAKER, ELECTION

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (11:33): I remind the house that it is now necessary to proceed to the election of a Speaker. I move:

That the member for Giles take the chair of the house as Speaker.

The CLERK: Are there any further nominations? Is there a seconder?

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (11:34): Yes, sir. I have pleasure in seconding the proposal for the nomination of the member for Giles as the Speaker of the House. May I say that it was the only way she was ever going to become the tallest person in the chamber. May I also wish her well in her quest in the holy grail to keep control of the House of Assembly.

The CLERK: There being no further nominations, I declare the member for Giles elected as Speaker and call her to take the chair.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. L.R. Breuer was escorted to the dais by the mover and seconder of the motion.

The SPEAKER (Hon. L.R. Breuer) (11:34): Standing here on the steps, which is the traditional approach to the chair, I would like to express my thanks to the mover and to the seconder for their call to this high office. I want to thank all members here present for their confidence in me and their support for me. I will uphold the traditions of the Speaker and show fairness in my dealings with members and preserve the protection of members' rights, collectively and individually, including the majority decision. I ask for the support of members to maintain the prestige and dignity of the chamber.

I am very honoured to be the first woman to hold this role and, although it has taken over 150 years for this to happen, I want to pay tribute to all those brave women who went before me and made this possible, including especially the suffragettes from over a hundred years ago, and I am proud to stand here in front of them. I also want to thank my feminist sisters from the 60s and 70s. This is certainly an important milestone for women, and I pay tribute to all those sisters from the past and throughout our wonderful state here today. They will now hear us roar in big numbers—too big to ignore—but with some authority.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (11:36): Honourable members and Madam Speaker, congratulations on being the first woman Speaker of the House of Assembly of South Australia in this state's history. I inform the house that His Excellency the Governor will be prepared to receive the house for the purpose of presenting the Speaker at 12.15pm today. I therefore move that the sitting of the house be suspended until 12.05pm.

Motion carried.

[Sitting suspended from 11:37 to 12:05]