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How Long Have Labor been plotting Harry Jenkin's sacking as Speaker

So the Deputy Speaker takes over, just happens to be Peter Slipper, a seemingly not very loyal Lib., who it has been suggested, may take the role permanently which leaves Labor with a majority in the Lower House.

You have to wonder how long Harry Jenkins, a loyal Labor man , and his colleagues have been planning this - On the last sitting day of Parliament !!! I've seen some dirty tricks, never thought Jenkins would be party to one though.

HARRY Jenkins has resigned as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Mr Jenkins told Parliament this morning that he had become progressively frustrated at the stricture of minority Government.

"My desire is to be able to participate in policy and parliamentary debate, and this would be incompatible with continuing in the role of Speaker," he said.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on November 24, 2011 at 9:13am

Can one of the Mods please correct that heading for me. I thought I had, but obviously did not hit the backspace key hard enough. Ta - Jan.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on November 24, 2011 at 9:29am

Thanks Bev - learning all the time eh.

It does seem sus that Jenkins has done this on the last sitting day. That Peter Slipper also should have "ry" on the end of his name, as he fancies himself as speaker and does not seem to have much loyalty to his Party.

What happens next?

Both sides of politics are meeting this morning to decide who they want as leader, with Deputy Speaker Mr Slipper favoured by the Government.

Mr Slipper's election as Speaker would effectively give the Government an extra seat in the House of Reps, meaning Ms Gillard would be able to ignore Mr Wilie's repeated threats to being down the Government if it does not back his poker machine reforms.

But Mr Slipper's political future is under a cloud, with calls in Queensland's Liberal National Party for him to be sacked over a series of internal and ongoing disputes.

Reports indicate he is unlikely to retain preselect ion for his Queensland seat of Fisher.

This morning Monash University constitutional law expert Greg Taylor told ABC News 24 that a new Speaker must be elected, meaning Mr Slipper does not automatically inherit the chair.

"It should happen today. The House should not proceed to any business until it elects a Speaker," he said.

"The Deputy Speaker can preside and that is probably what will happen today.

"Obviously we expect Parliament to obey the law and elect a Speaker smartly."

Mr Taylor says under election procedures within the standing orders anyone can be nominated, but the person has to accept the nomination.

Election of a Speaker is carried out by secret ballot

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-24/harry-jenkins-resigning/3690850

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Permalink Reply by Robert William Nickisson on November 24, 2011 at 12:47pm

Hi Jan, So Harry Jenkins has become too frustrated with the JOB of speaker or perhaps it went more like this. RWN

Dear Harry, so sorry to send this goodbye letter to you my Harry, and you slaving away serving me and my country, but it isn’t working Harry, it isn’t working and I have found someone else, I still love you Harry, but I have needs Harry, I have needs and he is available Harry, my lovely Slippery is here at my
side and I need him desperately. Sorry once again Harry I hope we can still remain friends. And with the Opposition bleating about us giving our supporter’s wage rises, YOU will demonstrate to all how we in Labor can accept wage cuts without demonstrations and strikes for the good of my Nation. Harry my
ex. if you should see what’s his name from Tasmania over the Xmas break explain why his invitation to my Xmas Party was lost in the mail. I will be at my local club, playing the pokies, I really love the way I have or rather will soon become loved once more out there in club-land. Don’t pine away thinking back on all the good-times, Harry. So it’s Goodbye my ex. dear one, I'm not yours now but Slippers isn’t love grand. your past love. Julia the liar Gillard.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on November 24, 2011 at 1:45pm

You are right Dale, Slipper has resigned, he knew he would be sacked otherwise - what a slippery disloyal toad he is.

Robert William N - yes you seemed to have nailed it exactly . A phone call to the PM at 7.30 am on the last sitting day to resign a post which a few short months ago, when it was under threat, you gladly hung on to, ? Hmmm, as Tony Abbott has implied, Lady Macbeth has nothing on the PM. Of course the Slippery one now has a lucrative job, at least until the next election. God Help Australia

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on November 24, 2011 at 2:15pm

Vote in this Poll

hOW DO YOU VIEW LABOR'S MOVES TO INSTALL A NEW SPEAKER:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/politics/speaker-deal-boost...

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Permalink Reply by Ruth Bonnett on November 24, 2011 at 2:20pm

I hope that the pairing arrangements can now be called off. The gloves are off.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on November 25, 2011 at 6:26am

I am now absolutely terrified of Gillard and the vandals she has surrounded herself with. To trash democracy so openly as she did yesterday, is sickening, and to elevate such a person as Slipper to a position of parliamentary power just so she can retain government shows the treacherous nature of the worst prime minister in Australia's history, a prime minister who obviously has no respect for democracy, the Australian people or concern for the future of Australia. Where on earth is our once great Australia headed ? She should be the one The Telegraph has photoshopped.

In by a whisker ... new Speaker Peter Slipper in Parliament

/ Digitally altered image Source: The Daily Telegraph

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Permalink Reply by Michael Petterson on November 25, 2011 at 9:29am

THE last days of a Parliamentary sitting often produce surprising of events. In 2010 at the end of the winter sitting, Julia Gillard dispatched Kevin Rudd from the prime ministership. This week, on the last day of parliamentary sitting for 2011, her speaker Harry Jenkins was also dispatched so that the Government could shore up its numbers.

Harry Jenkins was sent to the Governor-General to resign but it should have been Julia Gillard driving to Government House. The last time a speaker resigned so suddenly was in the last days of the Whitlam Government.

This Parliamentary week summed up all that is wrong with the Gillard-Brown Government. A speaker junked, another bad tax, a budget in crisis and three boats which arrived in just three days.

In a replica of the carbon tax, Julia Gillard has done another secret deal with the Greens to pass her mining tax. And just like the carbon tax it will leave a big budget black hole. The $11.5 billion tax should provide a revenue windfall. Instead, this Government will not only spend the lot but all the associated promises and royalty rebates will cost the budget $6 billion more than is actually raised by the tax.

Only the Labor Party could introduce two great big new taxes which actually send the budget $10 billion dollars further into the red. That’s why they must undertake a crisis mini-budget to have any hope of getting close to achieving their much promised return to surplus.

http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/yoursay/index.php/dailytele...
Jan Courtney said:

I am now absolutely terrified of Gillard and the vandals she has surrounded herself with. To trash democracy so openly as she did yesterday, is sickening, and to elevate such a person as Slipper to a position of parliamentary power just so she can retain government shows the treacherous nature of the worst prime minister in Australia's history, a prime minister who obviously has no respect for democracy, the Australian people or concern for the future of Australia. Where on earth is our once great Australia headed ? She should be the one The Telegraph has photoshopped.

In by a whisker ... new Speaker Peter Slipper in Parliament

/ Digitally altered image Source: The Daily Telegraph

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on November 25, 2011 at 10:51am

One of the things I don't understand is how an MP who has been elected to Parliament as a Member of a Party , can resign that membership mid stream - Shouldn't there have been a by-election, as he has resigned from his Liberal held seat ?

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on November 25, 2011 at 10:59am

As usual - Larry Pickering is on the ball:

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Permalink Reply by Ian Davies on November 25, 2011 at 11:38am

Looks like the LNP were taken by surprise while sleeping & from a few comments floating around on the net the ALP have been working this for a while. Some indicate it was more of a weighing of the risks so what’s coming next. If LNP did know they would have blocked it. IMO

So the electorate gets to see another major flaw in our Australian version of our Un Democratic Westminster system. Under the Constitution the elected candidate is to represent the Will of his electorate. We know this no longer applies nor does the freedom to vote outside a block/party. So if people then are voting for the party why wouldn’t a bi-election be required when the elected member decides to change sides?

What if you had 20 or so do this all at once a few weeks after an election?

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Permalink Reply by Ian Davies on November 25, 2011 at 12:10pm

Hi Beverley, it looks like a major flaw that needs to be fixed & quick as we can see after the big fat premeditated lie that those that live by some old fashioned ideals will be stomped by New Labor ideals. It works for both sides but I doubt either can be trusted to have strong moral codes anymore.

I agree if you were actually close to a member & assisted their election campaign you would be outraged.

Beverley Prescott said:

It keeps happening in Queensland as well. Bob Katter's (note another case for whiskers maybe (Kat)??) party consists of two sitting members who have debunked from the LNP and the Queensland Party (one has tried it three times now with changing his colours) - I think it is disgusting that this can occur when people work so hard for the particular member to get elected. He then turns his back and says "up you" to all the workers.

How can anyone have trust in them?

At least when Rob Messenger defected, he had the guts to go Independent and not to another paty.

However, it is still all wrong and there should be bi-elections or at least the members should be disallowed from changing sides so close to another election.