Parliament’s Muppet stuntman is now in charge of the whole show

Milton Dick, the man who was once booted out of parliament for bringing in Muppets is now in charge of the whole show.

The House of Representatives elected the Queensland Labor MP as its new Speaker during the first sitting on Tuesday.

One of his key qualifications for the role – being on the Speakers’ panel, a list of people able to chair debate in the lower house – was almost brought undone by a question time prank.

Milton Dick and Luke Gosling taunt the government with Muppets on their desks in 2018.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Dick and his then-desk buddy Luke Gosling were thrown out of the chamber in 2018 for bringing a set of Muppet dolls into question time, which they waved around in front of cameras. Former Speaker Tony Smith was not amused and ejected the pair for their antics.

Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Leader of the House Tony Burke thanked Smith for subsequently agreeing to put Dick on the Speaker’s panel roster despite the blight on his record.

“It was possibly a difficult thing to put you on the Speaker’s panel, and I should confess to the parliament that that was my fault,” Burke said.

“It was entirely my idea that you do that. You were chosen on the basis that, at that point, you were the only member of the caucus who had not yet been thrown out. So, while it was disorder, it was disorder on the basis that you, to that point, for an opposition member, had been too respectful of the system.”

Luke Gosling and Milton Dick leave the chamber under 94a after they brought Muppets into question time.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The Muppets were a reference to a comment by Scott Morrison soon after he took over the prime ministership from Malcolm Turnbull. He had said during a television interview “the curtains have come down on that Muppet Show and an absolute new curtain has lifted up”.

Dick, who has been in parliament since 2016 as the member for Oxley, pledged to build respect in the chamber and in the parliament more broadly.

Smith and fellow former presiding officer Peter Slipper were in the chamber watching his election, and the new Speaker acknowledged they would understand what he was feeling.

“Speakers are supposed to be dragged to the chair due to fear. It’s a tradition I understand – I’m feeling quite a bit of fear right now,” Dick said.

Milton Dick is ‘dragged’ to the Speaker’s chair on Tuesday.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

He said the people of Australia had sent a clear message at the election on how they expected politics to be conducted.

“They want something different. I am keen to work with every member to see that change, but I need every member to commit to that change to make it work,” he said.

Speaker Milton Dick pledged to build respect in the chamber and in the parliament more broadly.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton told Dick they had confidence he would act with fairness and treat the parliament with respect, both citing the high standard set by Smith across six years in the chair.

“I’m absolutely convinced that you will be outstanding as well,” Albanese said.

Dick also promised to work on “one of the most pressing matters before this parliament” and implement the recommendations of the Jenkins review of parliamentary workplace culture as quickly as possible.

He told the Labor caucus meeting on Monday that if he became Speaker, he would no longer attend the party room gatherings.

That will follow an example set by previous Speakers, including Tony Smith and Labor’s Harry Jenkins and Anna Burke, who aimed to be non-partisan in their approach to the role.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

Most Viewed in Politics

From our partners

Source: Read Full Article