December 6, 2023
These are remarks to the House of Representatives on the retirement of the Clerk of the House, David Elder.
On the Clerk’s final day at the table, remarks in tribute were made by Speaker Tony Smith, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese, Government Leader of the House Christian Porter, and Manager of Opposition Business Tony Burke.
9.00am – The Australian Parliament has been dissolved.
The dissolution is a constitutional process that allows the writs for the July 2 double dissolution election to be issued. The dissolution is undertaken by the Governor-General, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister. The election writs command the Australian Electoral Commission to conduct the election and set out the various dates involved in the election process.
A brief ceremony was held in Parliament House during which the Governor-General’s Official Secretary, Mark Fraser, read the Proclamation dissolving both houses of parliament. Fraser was accompanied by the Clerk of the Senate, Rosemary Laing, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, David Elder.