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In a coup for Labor, Harry Jenkins resigns, allowing backbench Liberal MP Peter Slipper to become Federal Parliamentary Speaker. Senior correspondent Barry Everingham comments.
Peter Slipper, between Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott
With the Federal Opposition going totally feral and its leader out of control – it’s little wonder that one of the best Speakers ever to grace the Parliament has decided he’s had enough.
So today, Harry Jenkins drove out to Yarralumla and handed his resignation to Her Excellency the Governor General and, before the ink was dry, Tony Abbott’s dummy spit reached mammoth proportions.
Harry Jenkins’s decision puts the possibility of an Abbott government even further out of reach — and, of course, the longer the Mad Monk stays in the job, the closer Malcolm Turnbull comes to replacing him.
Earlier this week, Abbott was taken to task by many of his backbenchers for his arrogant and erratic behaviour — the guy is, surely, on borrowed time.
In a stroke of political genius, Julia Gillard and her team approached Peter Slipper – already the deputy Speaker – but a maverick Abbott backbencher, and offered the plum job to him, which he accepted, thereby giving Abbott one of the sweetest two-fingered salutes ever delivered in politics.
And why wouldn’t he?
He is shunned by his fellow Conservatives — and, in a less dramatic act than today’s, he joined Kevin Rudd last week on a tour of his Queensland electorate, while the former Prime Minister John Howard was there sticking his nose into business that is no longer his.
It seems that Rudd is still playing with Howard’s mind.
Abbott, of course, drew a very long bow when he said any Government who can’t provide a Speaker should resign.
Totally wrong and totally out of place.
He needs to look around the various State Parliaments.
Speaker Slipper will have his work cut out.
The feral and unseemly behaviour of many on Abbott’s front bench is nothing short of a disgrace.
The main offenders are the foul mouthed Sophie Mirabella; the crone of the House Bronwyn Bishop; the manager of Opposition Business, Christopher Pyne, whose mincing style is grating in the extreme; and last, but not least, there’s poor old Joe Hockey, who these days just doesn’t cut it.
Kelly O’Dwyer, who took Peter Costello’s seat of Higgins (and who is my local MP) is learning fast.
She has been kicked out already on a few occasions, but her savaging of Abbott in the Liberal Party room this week is elevating herself as a member to watch.
She has certainly gone up a few notches in my book.
But I worry about the company she keeps — if she has any aspirations for higher office she needs to be a bit more careful.
Mixing with and defending the likes of the Member for Indi will get her nowhere.
3 Comments
RT @independentaus Huge day in #Auspolitics with #Coalition MP Peter #Slipper becoming #Speaker. http://t.co/nsHgPBxr < great write up!
Dear BAZZA, what brilliant political strategy! Who do you think it
was who sank the slipper into the Opposition Baz ? Who was the architect?
Maybe Kevin Rudd played a part. If he does make a move on the leadership and is successful that MP can resign and still leave Labor in power.However PM Gillard is cementing her position day by day and any move to oust her would be downright stupid. The Liberals need to do some serious thinking otherwise the next election may not be walkover they hope. What if Julia has done a deal with Kevin for a seat on the UN if it comes up.
I can’t get over how many of the commentariat have said there must be some dark hidden purpose in Jenkins’ resignation, beyond the shock, horror, indignation of Peter Slipper’s appointment. Can’t anyone believe that Mr Jenkins is just fed up with the whole issue. Goodness we are a cynical lot!. Here’s the text of a letter I sent to the Newcastle Herald yesterday. Hope you like it.
“I was quite depressed to observe almost every commentator on the federal political scene canvassing ulterior motives for Harry Jenkins’ decision to step down from the Speaker’s chair. The majority opined that there must be a hidden agenda, because his Parliamentary pay will drop very considerably. It doesn’t say much for our political system that every time someone makes a move like this, the pecuniary aspects are first out of the box, followed closely by the conspiracy theories.
It may well be true that there is a conspiracy behind Mr. Jenkins’ move. But it’s equally possible, to say the least, that he did it for the reasons he has given; to take a more active role in his party’s affairs, and to participate in government as such, instead of presiding over Lower House proceedings. Unfortunately, few if any commentators believe that Mr Jenkins might consider his increased involvement in parliamentary life sufficient compensation for the financial penalties he’ll suffer. Incidentally those penalties will hardly reduce him to standing in line at a soup kitchen somewhere – backbenchers are quite well paid.
I suppose it’s understandable that we don’t believe in political integrity anymore. But it would be a better world if we could confidently accept Mr. Jenkins’ statement, and compliment him for acting with integrity, rather than ascribe some dark ulterior purpose to his actions.”