Appointments — Deputy Speaker Assistant Speakers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Appointments — Deputy Speaker Assistant Speakers 
[Sitting date: 21 December 2011. Volume:677;Page:13. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Appointments 
Deputy Speaker 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) 
: 
 I move  
That Eric Wilbur Roy be appointed Deputy Speaker. 
 Mr Roy is no stranger to anyone in this House I am sure—apart from new members of course who I am sure will have seen him in the role of presiding officer if they have studied Parliament in the lead-up to the election. He brings to the role considerable experience as a parliamentarian. He has experience as both a list and a constituency member of Parliament and I think anyone who has observed his management of the House will agree that he is a very impartial Speaker who offers everybody the sort of opportunity that we would expect. I am delighted to move this recommendation and I look forward to supporting the motion. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) 
: 
 On behalf of the Labour Party I would like to endorse the nomination of Eric Roy as Deputy Speaker. I think it is fair to say we have known each other for a long time. He is seen as someone of the utmost integrity in the House. I think it is also fair to say that while you Mr Speaker played on the right wing of the Parliamentary Rugby Team and showed some sidesteps and subtlety Mr Roy both on the rugby field and in the House has not been known for that. He and I have played in the tight forwards and I do not think I have ever seen him do a sidestep or avoid taking on a hard issue directly.  
I have the feeling that this might be somewhat of a trial for Mr Roy. Whether it is a 90-day trial or something slightly longer than that we are yet to see. I think we will all look forward to Mr Roy being in the Chair and to testing him out and when you seek new accommodation offshore Mr Speaker we will have another discussion about this. Thank you. 
Motion agreed to. 
Assistant Speakers 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) 
: 
 I move  
That William Lindsay Tisch be appointed Assistant Speaker 
. Like Mr Roy Mr Tisch has been a presiding officer for quite some time and has a reputation for fairness in the way in which he deals with all concerned in the House. Unlike Mr Roy he is unlikely to have been a front-row forward but none the less he has managed to avoid any obvious confrontations in his time as a presiding officer.  
If there was one disappointment I might personally express about all of this it is that Mr Tisch has been the chair of the parliamentary catering committee and I have to suggest that there have been relatively few improvements under his watch but then again I do have an extra couple of notches pulled in on my belt. So I congratulate him on that. I look forward to supporting this nomination and to the continuing work that Lindsay Tisch has been offering in this House. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) 
: 
 Again it is the Labour Party’s view that Lindsay Tisch is the appropriate person to fill this role. We want to congratulate him on it and say that we would have been equally happy if he were doing the role that he had been previously because again he is someone who has acted in this House with integrity. He has also made himself available to explain his rulings and to work through issues with members notwithstanding which side of the House they come from. This is one bit of advice that I should give to new members and it is that when something unusual happens in the House something that is unexpected it is worth sometime after the event going and having a discussion with the Leader of the House me or—probably with more expertise—one of the three or four presiding officers because they are able to explain the rules of the place which I think it is fair to say are on occasion slightly hard to follow. But congratulations Lindsay. 
Motion agreed to. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) 
: 
 I move  
That Harold Valentine Ross Robertson be appointed Assistant Speaker 
. Ross Robertson is in his 25th year as a member of this House and has served in this House for I think about 12 years in the role of presiding officer so he is a man of great experience. I am sure new members will come to enjoy just as those who have returned enjoy the hearty afternoon greeting “Good afternoon and kia ora to you all.” which regularly comes from Ross when he takes the Chair. It will also be interesting to see over this term whether or not he can come up with some interesting new fashion combinations. We have enjoyed over the years the array of scarves that he has managed to produce and wear with a certain fetching panache. But overall I think it is the way in which he has conducted himself as a Speaker that gives us great confidence in supporting this nomination today. He has a great saying and I am sure we will hear it again: courtesy is contagious. He always shows great courtesy to all members of the House. We look forward to supporting his nomination. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) 
: 
 I somewhat reluctantly rise to support this nomination because I think members opposite will understand that occasionally Mr Robertson feels that it is really important to show his independence from his party. Sometimes he is harder—sometimes much harder—on the Opposition than he is on the Government. Mr Speaker Ross has been around for a long time. He does test every now and again your definition of business attire. I am not sure that the multicoloured scarves are normal business attire but you give him the flexibility to do that. He is someone who does know his Standing Orders really well. He has the office next to mine; I see him studying them. He comes to the House prepared to rule on matters. Those matters quite often arise and as a result he is well prepared.  
Although the expression that the Leader of the House has used is one that has been commonly used in the House by Ross Robertson it is not his most memorable one. There are few members of our caucus who are left from the period when he was first a member when the caucus was in some trouble or disarray; 1987 to 1990 was not the best of times. I think it is long enough ago now to let members know his classic expression when the Government was running into trouble. He said: “This Government has too many balls in the fire.” 
Motion agreed to. 
H V ROSS ROBERTSON (Labour—Manukau East) 
: 
Kia ora tatou no reira e te Whare e nga iwi e nga reo e nga hau e wha. Tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa. It is with humility that I gratefully accept the honour that you my parliamentary colleagues have offered me: to serve this House as one of your presiding officers. Mr Brownlee you are right: it is not my first time; in fact it is my fourth—an unprecedented occurrence for an Assistant Speaker in an MMP Parliament. 
I consider it both an honour and a privilege to serve this 50th New Zealand Parliament blessed as it is with many new talents alongside seasoned politicians who are accustomed to the delicate difference of opinion in this place. I will ensure that every member has the fullest opportunity to define defend and deliver his or her visions according to the letter of the Standing Orders and Speakers’ rulings and in the spirit of engagement that our public expect. For this is a robust Parliament a place for full and vigorous debate but contributions will be made with respect for the traditions of the House as enshrined in the Standing Orders. This is a place where continuous streams of ideas are tested. It is like a river that flows from bank to bank so that its true potential is realised for all. This House is a symbol of integrity and the integrity of all honourable members is to be upheld and every voice shall be heard in accordance with our Standing Orders. All members are honourable and that is it. We refer to each other as honourable despite what we may think otherwise because we are aspirational. We call the member what we would want them all to become. 
I want to thank those from the last Parliament who understood when the need arose to make firm but fair decisions and I serve this House as Parliament’s person. My commitment is to continue to serve with the same values and vision that I have served before—firm fair and impartial. Tihei mauri ora! No reira tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) 
: 
 I am sure all members will go to the long adjournment contemplating what a river that did not flow from bank to bank might look like.