Mr WATTS (Gellibrand) (17:07): I move: That Mr Mitchell be elected the Deputy Speaker of the House. I'll be brief. No-one in this parliament has more experience in the chair than the member for McEwen does. Indeed I was reflecting, while listening to the member for Calwell nominate the member for Casey for the Speaker's chair, on the similarities between the pair. Smith and Mitchell is the combination this parliament needs in the Speaker's panel. Like the Speaker, the member for McEwen has a fond appreciation for car restorations. They share the pain of three Carlton wooden spoons in the last nine years. Like the Speaker, Mr Mitchell has not aged a day since he entered this parliament. Since 2012 the member for McEwen has sat in the chair in both chambers and performed with exceptional clarity and independence. More than that, Rob Mitchell has that rare quality that the Australian public most prizes in their elected representatives: authenticity. There is nothing fake about Rob Mitchell, not his commitment to his constituents, not his passion for the role of the chair of the place, not his friendship and support for those of us who serve with him in this place. As the Deputy Speaker he will serve all of us in this chamber with fidelity. He is a member of the parliament that I admire and respect. I am proud to call him a mate. Rob Mitchell knows all too well the privilege that it is to be here in this chamber. He has fought tough marginal seat campaigns. He has endured multiple recounts and a contested election result in the Court of Disputed Returns. He knows how special it is to be here in this chamber and the special responsibility it imposes on us all. The member for McEwen has told me that he is passionate about the opportunity to raise the standards in this place when he is in the chair. Honourable members interjecting— Mr WATTS: For clarity, I should make clear that he was talking about the opportunity when he is in the chair. For the member for McEwen, the role that he plays in the chair in this chamber is the main prize of his parliamentary service, his greatest honour and his passion. He has always conducted himself fairly, without fear or favour, and has been a great source of guidance to new members and to some new ministers in the government, helping them to understand the procedural pathway for legislation and how the chamber works. There has been many a time when Mr Mitchell has had a quiet word off to the side with members and given them advice about how to stay in the chamber without disrupting the business of this place, and how it would be in their party's interest for them to hang around. The member for McEwen is someone who does carry the role with dignity. He has a deep appreciation for the importance of the chair's role, and he also understands the need to conduct debate in this chamber professionally and in a fair and just manner. When it comes to the experience and knowledge and professionalism of the role, no-one is more qualified or suited to the role than Rob Mitchell. I am proud to nominate him for the role. The SPEAKER: I thank the member for Gellibrand for finally identifying which Mr Mitchell he was referring to.