Speaker’s Statements — Urgency—Reflections

Members, it is a breach of convention for Speakers to ever be able to grade or rank the speeches that have occurred in the House. I would like to make a few reflections, though.

We have seen a number of firsts in the House. We have seen the bestowal of a new nickname on a certain member; I think “The Professor” might stick. I must say that I kind of like “Benson and Hedges”, and I see there has been an amicable separation, neither of them wishing to inhale each other’s second-hand smoke and mirrors. We have seen the ejection from the House of a certain member, making his mark as the long-suffering Deputy Speaker’s first expulsion.

The “Dr Michael Cullen Prize for Irrelevant History Lesson” goes to Chris Hipkins and the Belgian royal family. The “I’m So Pleased to Be Here in Urgency” prize goes to Deborah Adams, Chamber officer, who was ecstatic this morning when I arrived. She just said: “I just love urgency.” The “Jill Pettis Prize for the Most Persistent Interjections”, with 15 repeats of the same phrase in a 5-minute Committee stage speech, goes to David Clark. I woke myself up this morning at 4.15 screaming something about “the worst in 50 years”. The “Asenati Lole-Taylor - Paul Quinn Prize for Volume in a Speech” goes to Iain Lees-Galloway, which is self-evident.

I want to extend our thanks to Roland and Mary and their teams, the security staff, the Chamber officers, Hansard, and the cafeteria staff for their extended duties. My fellow Speakers would like to join with me too in thanking you all for the spirit in which you have engaged in the debate.

The House adjourned at 9.52 p.m. (Saturday)