Speaker resigns
Harry Jenkins has resigned as Speaker of the house and Peter Slipper appears to the ALP’s preferred replacement. Having Slipper in the chair would give the government the additional vote of Jenkins.
Yony Abbott comments;
“It is a remarkable thing for this parliament to witness out of the blue the resignation of the speaker,” he said. “One must assume that’s something extraordinary is happening in the Labor party at the moment for the speaker to resign his office,’’ he saidThis will be interesting. UPDATE: Slipper confirmed as Speaker which, coincidentally, most probably presages Mal Brough’s return to the federal arena. Colour me skeptical but with the ALP gaining two votes with this maneuver I am going to take some convincing that the whole thing isn’t part of a plot driven by the need to gain a clearer majority in the House, rather than Harry’s sudden burning desire to join the debate on the floor.
Facebook
Twitter
Kev, skullduggery is present in all political parties, none are free from this disease. It is how politics works in Australia
Lets not forget:
Night of the Long Prawns: with Vice Gair;
Premier Joh & Albert Partick Field
Jim Cope
John Gorton and Billy McMahon
Peter Slipper
Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard
Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull and Brendan Nelson
Malcolm Turnbull and Peter King
John Button and Jay Wehterall
and the list goes on……….. and on……. and on…….
Politics is all about posturing and manouvering to get an advantage. All parties and all players do it.
Today is just another day in the fabric of Australian politics.
Yes, will go down in Australian political history but remember the first cricket test in on next week and that is far more important. We can’t let the Kiwis win!
Peter
Peter
You forgot Mal Colston…
I did forget big Mal and
Billy Hughes who joined every party but the Country Party.
Black Jack McEwan would not work with Billy MaMahon. I am sure others can add to the list.
What an embarrassment for Labor. Not one single ALP MHR with the integrity to accept their nomination for Speaker. Clearly Gillard thinks her comrades are so inept she needs a rorter like Slipper to give her side a boost in the honesty stakes.
Peter W,
There is no requirement for the Speaker to come from the ranks of government members.
Government is about numbers.
Let us be honest if the numbers for Labor and Coalition were reversed and the Speaker resigned the result would be no different with Mr Abbott, fighting to hold onto his numbers and doing everything to out fox Labor. Just this time Labor got up. You only need to view the footage to see sad Coalition faces as Slipper was “dragged” to the chair.
If we want more honest government in this country lets remove the political ties of those we elect.
Both major political groups draw members of parliament from small gene pools. Lets look at the background of the Liberal’s newest Senator.
Until this changes we are left with the present merry-go-round and the list above will get longer and longer.
Peter D
PS will rain impact on the First Test on Thursday?
“You only need to view the footage to see sad Coalition faces as Slipper was “dragged” to the chair.”
I watched the whole session in disbelief – I couldn’t believe Gillard really thought her embrace of Slipper, AFP investigation in tow, was the action of a rational person.
Dyed-in-the-wool and self-described ‘Labor men’ I occasionally work with sat shaking their heads in disbelief over their morning brew the day after. Their angry opinion was that Gillard was a closet Liberal Party member finally showing her true colours. They were not happy campers. “Who’d give that slippery c**t a job they grumbled.”
Rain on the first day of the first test? At the Gabba? This early in the wet season? I’ll give it a go. Hot and humid on a greenish track with a lush outfield. Threatening thunder storms may well sweep out of the west and cause the covers to be deployed… Or not :0)
.
“Hot and humid on a greenish track with a lush outfield. Threatening thunder storms may well sweep out of the west and cause the covers to be deployed…”
I am a weather god :0)
<p>Hey Kev, didn’t the Slipper thing go well…</p>