Queensland MP Milton Dick is Labor’s pick to be next speaker of the House of Representatives

Queensland MP Milton Dick is a step closer to becoming the next speaker of the House of Representatives, after being endorsed by the Labor caucus.

Milton Dick was the only Labor politician to put his hand up for the speaker role. Picture: Aaron Francis

Queensland MP Milton Dick is a step closer to becoming the next speaker of the House of Representatives, after being endorsed by the Labor caucus.

Mr Dick, the member for Oxley, hails from the Right faction and was first elected to federal parliament in 2016.

The Australian understands he was the only Labor politician to put his hand up for the speaker role, which comes with a $370,000 pay packet, when the caucus’s nominations closed on Tuesday.

Mr Dick — who turns 50 on Thursday — belongs to a political dynasty and is a former Queensland Labor state secretary and Brisbane City councillor.

His older brother Cameron Dick is the Queensland Treasurer, and both are confidants of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

There were rumours of a split within the Right, with Victorian Rob Mitchell keen to throw his hat in the ring. However, after Mr Dick secured the support of colleagues from every other state, Mr Mitchell did not put in an expression of interest.

NSW MP Sharon Claydon, from the Left faction, was the only nominee for the deputy speaker role. The Left faction has already endorsed West Australian Sue Lines as Senate President.

Mr Dick confirmed to The Australian that he would accept the government’s nomination for speaker, when the 47th parliament sits for the first time next Tuesday.

“When parliament resumes next week, I intend to accept the government’s nomination as Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 47th parliament,” Mr Dick said in a brief statement.

“I am honoured to be endorsed today by the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party.

“Out of deep respect for the Office of Speaker I will be consulting with Members from across the House of Representatives, to consult and seek their support.

“I will now follow and respect the processes of election to this important role.”

Government sources are quietly confident Mr Dick will be elected as Speaker, as Labor holds a majority of 77 seats in the lower house and the Queenslander is well liked by key members of the crossbench.

Independent MPs had been urging the Albanese government to appoint Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie as speaker, arguing it would send a “powerful and positive” message about his approach to the new parliament.

If picked, he will replace fellow Queenslander Andrew Wallace, making him the third sunshine state politician to hold the role since World War II.