And the ‘shine’ part doesn’t seem likely for Speaker of the House Mark Shelton as he faces the four-day trek to the state’s capital, raising funds along the way for disability support service St Giles.

Lyons Liberal MHA Mr Shelton began his long walk on Friday with the help of Perth Primary School pupils, who waved him off in the morning despite the ominously grey weather.

Several pupils at Perth Primary use the services provided at St Giles, as does Mr Shelton’s grandson Evan, who attends Bracknell Primary.

Founded in 1937 in response to the polio epidemic, St Giles is one of Tasmania’s largest non-government organisations providing a complex array of support services for people with disabilities and their families.

“They’re statewide, down the coast, Hobart and Launceston, they do a fantastic job, they’re in almost every school working away,” Mr Shelton said.

Mr Shelton is already halfway to achieving his fundraising target of $10,000, before he’d even placed a foot outside.

“We’re about halfway, very pleased to get the halfway before the actual walk commences,” he said.

“We need to get the message out there, but over the weekend hopefully people will come on board.

“It’s for a very good cause, and given that the challenge is 200 kilometres now possibly in the rain, it makes it all that more interesting.”

He hopes to arrive in Hobart on December 4 for Estimates hearings.