Andrew Wallace elected Speaker of Federal Parliament

Federal Member for Fisher Andrew Wallace has been appointed the 31st Speaker of Federal Parliament replacing former Speaker, Victorian Liberal MP Tony Smith, who resigned.

A former construction lawyer, Mr Wallace was first elected to Parliament in 2016 and was re-elected in 2019.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison described Mr Wallace as a compassionate man with a breadth of life experience who could connect with people from all walks of life.

“One of the things I’ve always admired about the now Speaker is the broad experience he has brought to this place, beginning working life as an apprentice carpenter and joiner, completing his apprenticeship, becoming a builder, starting in his own business,” the Prime Minister said.

“Later, well into his 20s with three young children — four daughters now — completed a law degree at Queensland University of Technology, becoming a construction lawyer and barrister. And then he came here to this place, as a member and now as a Speaker.”

“Of all the qualities that I know of the Speaker, he is a considered man, he is a very intelligent man. He has a keen attention to detail, we all know, he’s passionate and he has a compassion in his heart and in his soul which so many of us who know him well have been touched by.

“He has known difficult times, tragic times, hardships in his life. He has also enjoyed success and this enables him, I think, to connect with people through all manners of their life experience.

“He is a good man. He is a very decent man and he is a very experienced person.

“But when I’m asked to nominate one quality of why it’s so important he occupies this chair, is the Speaker is a very fair man, he has a great sense of fairness about him and it is born of all those other qualities and that’s why I think it is right of this House to give him this opportunity.”

Mr Wallace promised to “enforce our standing orders fairly, to manage the administration of the House in the interests of all and to represent this place and the will of its members in the world outside”.

“I intend to give my all in pursuit of those ancient duties. I will respect the independence of the Chair and seek to enforce the standing orders without fear nor favour,” he said.