Wayne Perinchief was made Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly on Friday morning, replacing former Premier and new Education Minister Dame Jennifer Smith.

Mr. Perinchief was nominated by fellow Government backbencher Randy Horton during the first House meeting of the new parliamentary session; Attorney General Michael Scott seconded the proposal.

There were no other nominations and former Cabinet Minister and assistant Police commissioner Mr. Perinchief was immediately declared the new post holder by Speaker Stanley Lowe.

Mr. Perinchief told the House: "I'm very pleased to accept the position of Deputy Speaker." He told The Royal Gazette afterwards that he was looking forward to his new role.

Mr. Lowe earlier read out Dame Jennifer's letter of resignation, in which she said it had been a pleasure to serve as chairman of the House and Grounds Committee, during an "exciting period of change".

She said she was glad to have had the opportunity to revise the parliamentary standing orders, along with Opposition MP John Barritt, as a member of the Rules and Privileges Committee.

Dame Jennifer, who had to step down upon being appointed to Cabinet as Ministers cannot serve as Deputy Speaker, said in her letter that a Cabinet paper had been taken forward to allow Parliament to have its own web domain to cope with demand for the official Hansard and to give members laptops.

The Speaker said a letter of resignation had been received from former Premier Ewart Brown, vacating his seat in the House as MP for Warwick South Central, though it was not read out.

Mr. Perinchief's appointment was the main business of the day in a brief House session held before and after the Throne Speech was delivered on the lawn of Cabinet by the Governor at 11 a.m.

After MPs filed back into the chamber shortly before noon, Mr. Lowe tabled on behalf of the Auditor General, her special report on TCD and the new emissions testing centres.

Premier Paula Cox tabled the Statistics Act (2010 Census) Amendment Order, which allows the 2010 Census to continue to be taken between November 20 and March 31 next year; the count was originally supposed to have been completed by August 31 this year.

She also proposed a motion that the recent report of the Boundaries Commission and a draft order putting in place the changes it recommends be considered and approved by the House this parliamentary session.

Justice Minister Mr. Scott tabled the Police and Criminal Evidence (Suspension of Commencement of Specified Provisions) Act 2010.

He explained that the legislation will stop sections 2 to 22 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Amendment (No. 2) Act 2010 coming into force yet.

It was also noted in the session by Opposition leader Kim Swan that Mr. Barritt was celebrating both a "significant birthday that has a zero" as well as 17 years as an MP.

Debate on the Throne Speech will be the first order of the day for the next session on Friday.