Legislative Assembly Hansard 1947
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Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly TUESDAY, 5 AUGUST 1947 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy Queensland Parliamentary Debates· 'lLegtslatt\Je Rssembl\?. FIRST SESSION OF THE THIRTY-FIRST PARLIAMENT Appointed to meet AT BRISBANE ON THE FIFTH DAY OF AUGUST, IN THE ELEVENTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE VI., IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1947. TUESDAY, 5 AUGUST, 1947. RETURN' OF WRITS. The Clerk informed the House that the writs for the various Blectoral districts had OPENING OF PARLIAMENT. been returned to him severally endorsed as Pursuant to the proclamation by His follows:- Excellency the Governor, dated 3 July, 1947, Albert-Thomas Flood Plunkett. appointing Parliament to meet this day for Aubigny-Walter Beresford James the dispatch of business, the House met at Gordon Sparkes. 12 o'clock noon in the Legislative Assembly Barcoo-Edward William Davis. Chamber. Baroona-William Power. The Clerk of the Parliament read the Bowen-Frederick Woolnough Paterson. proclamation. Bremer-J ames Donald. Brisbane-John Henry Mann. COi\L'viiSSION TO OPEN PARLIA"''I:EXT. Bulimba-George Henry Marriott. Bundaberg-J ohn Francis Barnes. 'l'he Clerk acquainted the House that His Buranda-Richard Kidston Brown. Excellency the Governor, not being able con veniently to be present in person this day, Cairns-Thomas Martin Crowley. Carnarvon-Paul J erome Remigius had been pleased to cause a commission to be issued under the public seal of the State, Hilton. appointing the Hon. Edward Michael Hanlon, Carpentaria-Alfred J ames Smith. the Hon. Vincent Clair Gair, and the Hon. Charters Towers-Arthur J ones. IIarold Henry Collins Commissioners in order Cook-Harold Henry Collins. to the opening and holding of the present Cooroora-David Alan Low. session of Parliament. Cunningham-Malcolm Mclntyre. Dalby-Charles Wilfred Russell. The Commissioners so appointed being East Toowoomba-Gordon William seated on the dais, and the Clerk having W esley Chalk. Tead the commission, Enoggera-Kenneth J ames Morris. The SENIOR COMMISSIONER (Hon. Fassifern-Adolf Gustav Mi.iller. F. M. Hanlon, Ithaca) said: Hon. members, Fitzroy-James Clark. we tave it in command from His Excellency Fortitude Valley-Sam uel John the Governor to let you know-That as soon Brassington. :as the members of the Legislative Assembly Gregory-George Henry Devries. have been sworn. the causes of this Parlia Gympie-Thomas Dunstan. ment being calle·d together will be declared Hamilton-Harold Bourne Taylor. to you: And, it being necessary that a Herbert-Stephen Theodore. Speaker be first chosen, it is His Excellency's Ipswich-David Alexander Gledson. pleasure that you proceed to the election of Isis-William Alfred Brand. one of your number to be your Speaker, Ithaca-Edward Michael Hanlon. and that you present such person so chosen Kelvin Grove-J ohn Albert Turner. to His Excellency the Governor at such time Kennedy-Cecil George Jesson. and place as His Excellency shall appoint. Keppel-W alter Charles Ingram. T~e Premier thereupon produced a com Kurilpa-Patrick Kerry Copley . missiOn under th~ public seal of the State Logan-Thomas Alfred Hiley. empowering him, the Hon. Vincent Clair Gair; Mackay-Frederick Dickson Graham. and the Hon. Harold HBnry Collins or any Maranoa-John Russell Taylor. onB of them, to administer to all or any Maree--Louis Wells Luckins. members or member of the House the Maryborough-David Farrell. oath or affirmation of allegiance to His Merthyr-William Matthew Moore. Majesty the King, which commis!lion was then Mirani-Ernest Evans. read to the House by the Clerk. Mundingburra-Thomas Aikens. 1947-B 2 Members Sworn. [ASSEMBLY.] Election of Speaker. ::\furrumba-George Francis Reuben Farrell, David, Esquire. Nicklin. Graham, Frederick Dickson, Esquire. N anango-J ohannes B jelke-Petersen. Gunn, William Morrison, Esquire. Normanby-Thomas Andrew Foley. Heading, J ames Alfred, Esquire. Nundah-Frank Edward Roberts. Hiley, Thoma• Alfred, Esquire. Oxley-Thomas Caldwell Kerr. Hilton, Paul Jerome Remigius, Esquire. Port Curtis-James Burrows. Ingram, Waiter Charles, Esquire. Rockhampton-James Larcombe. J esson, Cecil George, Esquire. Sandgate-Eric Paul Decker. Kerr, Thomas Caldwell, Esquire. South Brisbane-Vincent Clair Gair. Low, David Alan, Esquire. Stanley-Duncan Macdonald. Luckins, Louis Wells, Esquire. The Tableland-Henry Adam Bruce. Macdonald, Duncan, Esquire. Toowong-Charles Gray Wanstall. Madsen, Otto Ottosen, Esquire. Toowoomba-John Edmund Duggan. Maher, Edmund Bede, Esquire. Townsville-George Keyatta. M ann, John Henry, Esquire. Wan·ego-Harry 0 'Shea. Marriott, Ge01·ge Henry, Esquire. W m·wick-Otto Ottosen Madsen. Mcintyre, Malcolm, Esquire. West Moreton-Edmund Bede Maher. Moore, William Matthew, Esquire. Wide Bay-James Alfred Heading. Morris, Kenneth James, Esquire. Windsor-Bruce Pie. Miiller, Adolf Gustav, Esquire. Wynnum-William Morrison Gunn. Nicklin, George Francis Reuben, Esquire. 0 'Shea, Harry, Esquire. The· CLERK: I !1ave also to inform the Paterson, Frederick W oolnough, Esquire. House that an Order in Council was issued Pie, Bruce, Esquire. on 24 July, 1947, validating the election for Plunkett, Thomas Flood, Esquire. the electoral districts of Carpentaria, Cook, Roberts, Frank Edward, Esquire. Gregory and W arrego: Russell, Charles Wilfred, Esquire. (a) notwithstanding that the poll was Smith, Alfred J ames, Esquire. not taken at certain polling places in the Taylor, Harold Bourne, Esquire. electoral districts of Cook and Gregory Taylor, John Russell, Esquire. until 2 June, 1947, and 24 May, 1947, Theodore, Stephen, Esquire. respectively; Turner, John Albert, Esquire. Wanstall, Charles Gray, Esquire. (b) notwithstanding that the receipt of ballot boxes from polling places in the ELECTION OF SPEAKER. electoral districts of Carpentaria and Warrego was delayed beyond the 30 May, l\Ir. DUXSTAX (Gympie) (12.22 p.m.): 1947; :\fr. Dickson, I move, and fully appreciate th6 privilege of moving- (c) notwithstanding that the writs for the said electoral districts were not '' That M1· Samuel John Brassington, returned on the due date, and extending do take the Chair of the House as the time for the return of the writs as Spraker.'' follows:- For that high and honourable position he has the credentials and qualifications of experi narpentaria and Warrego to 13 June, ence, ability and impartiality. He has had 1947, and Cook and Gregory to 27 June, experience as member of Parliament and as 1947. Speaker of the House. He came into this House as member for Balonne in 1927, and ME~fBERS SWORN. represented that electorate for approximately The Commissioners, who, with other five years. After the electoral redistribution members of the Ministry, had been sworn in of 1932 he was returned at a by-election in before His Excellency the Governor on 1933 as member for Fortitude Valley, which 31 July, and 4 August, 1947, and subscribed he still represents. He held the position of the roll, then administered the oath or affirma Chairman of Committees for two years, and tion of allegiance to the following other was elected Spraker of the House in 1944. members, who thereupon also subscribed the Dming the three years of the State Parlia roll:- ment recently conclude_d, he fully justified Aikens, Thomas, Esquire. his appointment, whlch logically warrants this Barnes, John Francis, Esquire. nomination for his re-election to the Speaker Bjelke-Petersen, J ohannes, Esquire. ship. Brand, William Alfred, Esquire. As Ed1Yard Lummis, in his book entitled Brassington, The Hon. Samuel John. ''The Speaker's Chair,'' truly says- Brown, Richard Kidston, Esquire. '' The most important of a Speaker's Burrows, J ames, Esquire. dntics (and thev are many) lie in the Chalk, Gordon William Wesley, Esquire. Speaker's Chaii·. Courteous, prompt, Clark, James, Esquire. judicious, dignified, a Speaker ought to be; f'opley, Patrick Kerry, Esquire. impartial he must be.'' Crowley, Thomas Martin, Esquire. Mr. Brassington today can justly lay Davis, Edward William, Esquire. claim to these special qualifications which Decker, Eric Paul, Esquire. uefit and distinguish the high office of Speaker Devries, George Henry, Esquire. --experience, judgment, courtesy, wisdom and Donald, J ames, Esquire. ability. During his orcupancy of the chair he Dunstan, Thomas, Esquire. was firm, yet impartial; in the exercise of Eva.ns, Ernest, Esquire. authority, clothed with supreme powers, he Election of Speaker. [5 AUGUST.] Election of Speaker. 3 was fair and considerate, without being harsh ~Ir. DUNSTAN: I can only assume that or feeble; he aimed always at preserving in those times the words ' 'decorum and pres order and decorum in debate and maintaining tige of the House of Parliament'' were words the prestige of the House; his studious know of a foreign language compared with the ledge of the Standing Orders and Parlia present day. mentary practice gave weight to his We have moved also from the old-time _;udgments; and he competently provided for Speaker-nominees' reluctances and excuses. the amenities and social functions that add Mr. Brassington himself needs none of them. to the prestige of this House of Parliament. His stature is not small, he is well-spoken, his Incidental to the Speakership, and illustra voice is not low, his carriage is not of com tive of the changes that have taken place over mon fashion, nor is his nature soft and bash the centuries in the customs and practices of ful. As to whether his purs-e be thin or fat, Parliament, particularly the House of we know not; but to his courtesy and good Commons, I venture to relate a bit of history nature we can all subscribe. chronicled by Edward Lummis. It goes back So, for these reasons, Mr. Dickson, I con to the year 1597 and the reign of Queen fidently submit the nomination of Mr. Elizabeth, when the nomination of a Speaker Brassington to the good sense and favour of -as it had been for 200 years-was largely hon. members. In honouring him we shall at the instigation and command of the be honouring also ourselves and the long occupant of the throne.