From the oral history collection: Robert (Bob) Halverson OBE (1937-2016)

Bob Halverson, who died on 9 February, was elected to the House of Representatives as the Liberal member for Casey in 1984. On the election of the Howard Liberal Government in 1996, he was appointed Speaker of the House, a position he held until his resignation in 1998.

The following edited excerpt from an interview in the Oral History collection is part of the Greg McIntosh collection of interviews, recorded in 1989.

Greg McIntosh recorded interviews with Members of Parliament, senior parliamentary officials and members of the Press Gallery for his research project titled ‘Executive Dominance and the New Parliament House’ while he was Commonwealth Political Science Fellow at Parliament House in 1988-89.

In the edited excerpt, Mr Halverson speaks about the appointment of the Speaker and the need for reform of Question Time.

The interviews were recorded on cassette tape and this is reflected in the audio quality.

The McIntosh collection has been acquired and digitized by the Museum.

The interview was recorded on 25 March 1989 and the full version can be listened to online.

It may also be consulted at the Museum of Australian Democracy. Please contact the museum prior to your visit and quote the reference number OHI 354.