Senator Stephen Parry has been elected President of the Senate.

Parry, a Liberal senator from Tasmania, replaces ALP Senator John Hogg, who held the post since 2008 and retired on June 30.

A former policeman, funeral director and embalmer, Parry was first elected to the Senate at the 2004 federal election.

Parry defeated Greens Senator Scott Ludlam by 63 votes to 10 in a ballot this morning. There were 2 informal votes and Senator Catryna Bilyk was marked as absent. [Read more…]