Mr LEO McLEAY(2.03 p.m.) —Mr Speaker, with your indulgence: on behalf of Joan Child and on my own behalf, I join with you in the remarks you have made about John Porter, who, as you have said, was both her senior adviser and my own. John is a person who is well known to a lot of people in this parliament. His knowledge of the House of Representatives is exemplary. Each day in question time we all pore over the green book, and it was John who brought out its first draft.

Mr Speaker, as you have said, his retirement is as a result of illness, which is a terrible sadness to those who know him. I join with you, on behalf of Joan Child and on my own behalf, in saying to Margaret, Jane and Kate that John's illness is something that we are all terribly sorry about.

Mr SPEAKER —I thank the honourable member for Watson.