Senator DI NATALE (Victoria—Leader of the Australian Greens) (10:14): I'd also like to echo the Greens' proposal to nominate Senator Whish-Wilson for President of the Senate. The President of the Senate is a critical role in this place. It helps to determine how the Senate functions. It's a role that ensures that it brings integrity to the parliament, and right now—now, more than ever—our parliament needs people who act with integrity and with decency. Senator Peter Whish-Wilson is the right person for the role. I'd just say to my Labor colleagues that this isn't a gift to be handed between the major parties, an entitlement that belongs to either of you. This is a position that is owned by the Senate. I speak to my fellow crossbenchers as well, many of whom, I know, would do an admirable job in that role as well. It's not a gift of government. It's not something to be bestowed upon the next person in line. It's not a favour to be done to one of their own side. I will just say that this is now an opportunity for this chamber to make a decision to elect somebody who will ensure that we bring some integrity and some decency back into this place. Senator Parry was, indeed, a very good President. He did a very good job. I think he's a decent person and he performed his role as President admirably. I think that the former President made a mistake, but his mistake was also a function of confiding in members of his own side who told him to be quiet while he was writing referrals for other members of parliament. Let's not forget that vital point! The President was sitting in that chair writing referrals to the High Court for other members of parliament, all the while having told people on his own team—ministers, no less—that he may have been ineligible. The advice he received was to sit down, be quiet and effectively hope that this issue would go away. It does show that the Liberal Party has treated the role of President as a political tool. I just implore members opposite—I implore the Labor Party—to recognise that now is an opportunity not to look after your own interests, knowing that at some point you're going to be in a situation where you'll be demanding the Presidency from the Liberal Party, but, indeed, to show that we have an opportunity to break this deadlock, to return, I think, some decency to this chamber and to appoint somebody in an independent role. The Clerk: Senator Hinch has a point of order. Senator Hinch: I object to the fact that Senator Macdonald is having a private conversation while important information is being discussed in this chamber. Thank you. The Clerk: There's no point of order, Senator Hinch. Senator Di Natale, you have the call. Senator DI NATALE: I will just finish by saying that today's an opportunity to break from this convention that says it's only the government of the day that should assume the presidency. Today's an opportunity for the Labor Party to tell the Liberal Party that they don't deserve this role. They don't deserve to have the next President of the Senate, because of the way they treated the previous one and because of the way they said to the previous President, 'Ignore your constitutional obligation, knowing you may be ineligible, and keep your head down, be quiet and let's hope the whole thing goes away.' It is an opportunity to restore some respect in the office of the President and I do believe that Senator Whish-Wilson is the right person for the job. Senator Whish-Wilson has served as a temporary chair of the Senate for four years now. He brings very valuable insights on what reforms could be made to improve the functioning of this parliament. He's made it clear that if he's elected he will donate any additional salary to charity. He has demonstrated that he wants to use this opportunity to usher in a new era of openness, of transparency, of integrity and of accountability to this parliament, and I commend Senator Whish-Wilson's nomination to the Senate. The Clerk: If no other senator wishes to address the nominations, there being two nominations, in accordance with the standing orders, a ballot will be held. But before proceeding to a ballot, the bells will be rung for four minutes. The bells having been rung— The Clerk: The Senate will now proceed to a ballot. Ballot papers will be distributed. Please write the name of the candidate you wish to vote for. The candidates are Senator Ryan and Senator Whish-Wilson. I invite Senator Bushby and Senator Siewert to act as scrutineers. A ballot having been taken— The Clerk: The result of the ballot is as follows: Senator Ryan, 53 votes; Senator Whish-Wilson, 11 votes; and one invalid vote. Senator Ryan is therefore elected 25th President of the Australian Senate in accordance with the standing orders. Senator Ryan having been conducted to the dais—