Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Speaker (currently the Honourable Mike Reynolds AM MP) is the Member of Parliament elected by the House to preside over sittings of the Legislative Assembly and to maintain orderly proceedings. The Speaker is supported in his role by officers of the Parliamentary Service, including the Clerk of the Parliament, the Sergeant at Arms and Hansard reporters.
After a general election and at the beginning of the first parliamentary sitting day, a Member is elected by secret ballot to the position. Normally, the Government's nominee is successful, since the Government controls the numbers in the House.
The office of Speaker is an ancient one dating back to the early English Parliaments in the 14th century. Unlike the Speaker of the British House of Commons, the Speaker of the Queensland Parliament does not resign from his/her political party and is still required to contest elections.
As the chief presiding officer of the Parliament, the Speaker chairs the debates and enforces the rules (known as Standing Orders) to ensure orderly conduct in the Chamber. In both instances, the Speaker is expected to demonstrate impartiality. However, the Speaker may participate in debates and in a tied voting situation has a casting vote.
The Speaker enjoys considerable powers within a parliamentary jurisdiction and can issue by-election writs, warrants for parliamentary privilege offenders and, if necessary, have brought before the bar of the Parliament such offenders for rebuke or sentence.
Administratively, the Speaker has control of the Parliamentary Service and is responsible for the Parliament's policies, budget, services and administration.
Source: Parliamentary website (public domain document)
[edit] Speakers of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
| Member | Electorate | Party | Term in Office | facts |
| ELIOTT, Gilbert | Wide Bay | 1860 to 1870 | Appointed to Council for life | |
| MACALISTER, Arthur | Eastern Downs | November 1870 to June 1871 | ||
| FORBES, Frederick Augustus | West Moreton | 1871 to 1873 | ||
| WALSH, William Henry | Warrego | 1874 to 1876 | ||
| KING, Henry Edward | Ravenswood & Maryborough | 1876 to 1883 | ||
| GROOM, William Henry | Drayton & Toowoomba | Opposition | 1883 to 1888 | |
| NORTON, Albert | Port Curtis | 1888 to 1893 | Appointed to Council for life | |
| COWLEY, Sir Alfred Sandlings | Herbert | Ministerialist | 1893 to 1899 | |
| MORGAN, Sir Arthur | Warwick | Ministerialist | 1899 to 1903 | Appointed to Council for life |
| COWLEY, Sir Alfred Sandlings | Herbert | Ministerialist | 1903 to 1907 | |
| LEAHY, John | Bulloo | Ministerialist | 1907 to 1909 | |
| BELL, Joshua Thomas | Dalby | Ministerialist | 1909 to 1911 | |
| ARMSTRONG, William Drayton | Lockyer | Ministerialist/ Opposition/ Liberal | 1911 to 1915 | |
| McCORMACK, William | Cairns | Labor | 1915 to 1919 | Premier 1925 to 1929 |
| LENNON, William | Herbert | Labor | September 1919 to January 1920 | became President of Council, then Governor. |
| BERTRAM, William | Maree | Labor | 1920 to 1929 | |
| TAYLOR, Charles | Windsor | Country & Progressive Nat | 1929 to 1932 | |
| POLLOCK, George | Gregory | Labor | 1932 to 1939 | Died in Office |
| HANSON, Edward Joseph | Buranda | Labor | 1939 to 1944 | Appointed to Council for life |
| BRASSINGTON, Samuel John | Balonne | Labor | 1944 to 1950 | |
| MANN, John Henry | Brisbane | Labor | 1950 to 1957 | |
| FLETCHER, Sir Alan Roy | Cunningham | Country | 1957 to 1960 | |
| NICHOLSON, Sir David Eric | Murrumba | Country | August 1960 - May 1972 | Longest serving |
| LONERGAN, William Horace | Flinders | Country/National | 1972 to 1974 | |
| HOUGHTON, James Edward Hiram | Redcliffe | National | 1974 to 1979 | |
| MULLER, Selwyn John | Fassifern | National | 1979 to 1983 | |
| WARNER, John Herbert | Toowoomba South | National | 1983 to 1986 | |
| LINGARD, Kevin Rowson | Fassifern | National | February 1987 to November 1987 | |
| POWELL, Lionel William | Isis | National | December 1987 to July 1989 | |
| LINGARD, Kevin Rowson | Fassifern | National | July 1989 to November 1989 | |
| FOURAS, Jim | Ashgrove | Labor | 1990 to 1996 | |
| TURNER, Neil John | Nicklin | National | April 1996 to June 1998 | |
| HOLLIS, Ray | Redcliffe | Labor | 1998 to 2005 | |
| McGRADY, Tony | Mount Isa | Labor | August 2005 to October 2006 | |
| REYNOLDS, Mike | Townsville | Labor | from 10 October 2006 |
