---

There are very few politicians who walk the talk and Kevin Rozzoli is one of them. It is great to see Kevin's dream finally realised. He gave birth to a book which most publishers shy away from as most people assume that parliaments and legislatures are irrelevant ... How right/wrong we all really are! Today, parliaments are dominated by executives as never before and we assume that we are too weak to change this fact. However, we should never give up our hopes and dreams - real democracies require participation by one and all as we all have blood on our hands if we have handed over our powers to a few masters who know how to wiggle preselection processes ...

Kevin Rozzoli's new book Gavel to Gavel was launched by Nick Greiner in the Strangers Bar at Parliament House, Sydney on 26 September, 2006. At the launch, Nick Greiner regretted the fact that he did not create a legislative atmosphere in which a framework for a better and a long term independence of the speakership was set in concrete ... The opportunity create by HUNG Parliament was missed so these days we have NSW Parliament and Parliamentary Committee System in the hands of Ministerial advisors and spin doctors ...

The book takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the corridors of parliament as seen through the eyes of a practitioner of thirty years’ experience in the ‘bear pit’ on Macquarie Street. The author’s seven years as one of its most highly regarded Speakers provides the background for this detailed and informative study of parliamentary practices and procedures.

As Kevin notes: the failure of present day parliaments to hold governments to account for the actions they take on behalf of ordinary citizens demands radical reforms. Instances of ministers and governments thumbing their noses at the community are legion; examples need not be listed here as readers will relate to many cases in those areas which particularly concern them. By Kevin Rozzoli & Ken Coghill: Renewing accountability

INSIDERS PERSPECTIVE: PROCESS OF PARLIAMENT
 
Kevin Rozzoli was the Member for Hawkesbury in the NSW Parliament, 1973-2003. He entered the Parliament at a by-election, one of four, which the ALP contested with some vigour following Federal Labor's very high vote in that region on that celebrated day, 2 December 1972. The Labor challenge did not pose a serious threat, thereafter the Liberal Member for Hawkesbury could count on a long career untroubled by a challenge from the other side of politics. Mr Rozzoli had a brief stint as Deputy Leader of the Opposition under John Dowd, during an unhappy time for the Coalition. He was purged in the coup of 1983 which brought Nick Greiner to the Liberal leadership.

His flowering was as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, 1988-95. All of his second term the Government was in a minority: his absence from the floor and his rulings were of more than usual importance. Following a succession of undistinguished Speakers from the 1950s, Kevin Rozzoli is regarded highly by those who regard the decorum of parliamentary as a matter of the first moment, a very boutique constituency which is perhaps why the behaviour of the Chair has not been discussed in the public domain all that much for fifty years.

Mr Rozzoli is attached to the University of Sydney where he is reflecting on his years in public life. After receiving an expression of interest, David Clune and the Chairman discussed how best Mr Rozzoli can contribute. Our suggestion was as follows.

[We] suggest a project which draws on your long and varied parliamentary career. You may choose to emphasise one period, such as occupying the Speaker's chair during successive parliaments – during one the Government enjoyed a big majority, during the Parliament was hung. You may choose to deal with the challenges of being in Opposition, particularly when the cause looks hopeless, the transformation occasioned by improved electoral prospects, how inward a party can look when government does not appear to be in sight. What we are seeking is work which illuminates the practical world of politics, a world rarely glimpsed by academics and other students of Parliament. Use your own experiences to draw some conclusions about politics and parliament. You could undertake that task at any of several levels though we do hope you will err on the side of frankness.

Mr Rozzoli proceeded to make a submission in the following terms.

I wish to apply for a financial grant in respect of a book I am writing on the processes of parliament with a particular emphasis on the Parliament of New South Wales. The book will provide a special focus on the Legislative Assembly, its rules and procedures and as a subset of that focus on the Fiftieth Parliament during which Premiers Greiner and Fahey governed without a majority in either house. The Fiftieth Parliament was particularly interesting from a procedural perspective and is an excellent basis from which study the interaction between Government and Opposition, their respective relationships with the public and the media, and the relativity of the evolving process over the past sixty years. I will be examining present day demands and the changes we have seen in communications, the level of public education and awareness, as well as modern attitudes to accountability and ethical considerations.

The book will address the elements that draw individuals to seek a parliamentary career, the role of a parliament in relation to the people its members represent. The book will also cover such issues as parliamentary privilege, the sub judice rule, the committee system, the Speakership, the role of a member, ethical considerations, the way legislation evolves and how the general public can better understand the process.

I will also detail the functions of the two chambers and their relationship to government and non-government members. I will give an outline of the administrative functions of the Parliament, the Parliamentary Library Hansard, Bills and Papers, IT, parliamentary organizations and so on. I will then deal with the scrutiny of Parliament, the various public accountability bodies, Auditor General, Ombudsman, ICAC and so on, and the role of the media.

Finally I will look into the future making some suggestions on improvements to process and the need for a more formal constitution for New South Wales. Throughout the book I will draw on my thirty years experience as a member of the Legislative Assembly and in particular my seven years as Speaker. It is intended to be a practical book that will provide information and enlightenment not only to those with a direct interest in the parliamentary process but to anyone who wants to take better advantage of our democratic system.