nearly Greenough

MR J.C. KOBELKE (Balcatta) [8.09 pm]: I congratulate the Speaker on his appointment, along with the Deputy Speaker and the Acting Speakers. I would like to give special commendation to the Speaker, who is not in the chair at the moment. He has the confidence of both sides of this house, and of the people who have come to know him over his time here. He is a person of considerable ability who gets on well with people, and we expect that he will be quite capable in the role of Speaker and retain the confidence of all members of the house. It is therefore quite fitting and important that we have a Speaker of that ability.

There was another reason, I think, why members of the house were so keen to see the member for Moore assume the Speaker’s chair. As the member for Greenough, he made quite a habit of committing matters to verse, so I thought it was only appropriate, in recognising that he has taken on this high office, that I actually pen something that I have called “Ode to the Speaker — Not the Poet”. It reads as follows —

The winces of pain echoed around the chamber,
The member for Greenough was on his feet again.
With a knowledge of music but a mangling of verses
His speeches would regularly cause pain.
A way needed to be found to protect us from such abuse,
For his re-election would prove even bleaker.
The attempt by Gary Snook proved to be of no use,
So the only solution was to make him the Speaker.

I am sure the Speaker will take that in good humour.

Subject: Address-in-Reply [Legislative Assembly - Address-in-Reply/Motion]

Date: 25 November 2008

Hansard reference: pp. 425c – 444a [online (pdf)]