Post by wheelspinner on Jun 1, 2011 5:11:47 GMT -5
The party of No embarrassed itself in Parliament yesterday. Tony Abbott's instinctive opposition to absolutely everything led him to vote down a ruling by the Speaker, votes which are always passed traditionally.
It soon became crystal clear what a f***-up this was. The Speaker threatened to resign. Had the Speaker stepped down, he would be replaced by the Deputy Speaker, who is from Tony's party. In a Parliament where there is only one vote between the Government and the Opposition, this would hand control to the Government and render Abbott impotent.
Tony leapt to his feet and effusively praised the Speaker and what a great bloke he is. Yeah right.
Deafening silence in house shows it's crisis time
June 1, 2011
Rarely has a more dreadful silence descended upon the House of Representatives.
The members had scared themselves witless.
Speaker Harry Jenkins' face, regularly ruddy, flicked to deathly white before flaring through all the shades of red, finally settling on puce.
''After question time,'' he intoned, ''I will be taking the time to consider my position.''
Jenkins was, pretty clearly, about to resign. It was the sort of crisis nobody had seen in Parliament for 40 years.
The gravity of it all was perhaps exacerbated by the dawning realisation that Jenkins would be replaced, at least in the short term, by Peter Slipper, a Queensland Liberal who accidentally became deputy Speaker in the confusion following last year's inconclusive federal election.
Slipper's more famed parliamentary efforts have included panicking after locking himself in a toilet - the door, security officials pointed out, was a slider rather than a swinger - and getting himself photographed by a naughty colleague while resting his eyes during a speech by the Indonesian President, after which he protested he was wide awake.
Possibly appalled by the prospect of Slipper ruling the roost, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott leapt to his feet to save the hapless Harry, declaring him a fine fellow who had conducted his difficult duties with impartiality and forbearance. And wonder upon wonder, Prime Minister Julia Gillard seconded Abbott's motion of confidence in the Speaker.
Only minutes before, everything had appeared perfectly normal. Government and opposition MPs were shouting at each other about the carbon tax and Jenkins was roaring for order. The next person to interject, Jenkins warned, would find themselves named.
Naming, in parliamentary parlance, is not simply shaming, which would be little more than meat and potatoes for today's politicians. No, to be named means being thrown out of Parliament for 24 hours, which denies the trangressor's party a potentially crucial vote.
Jenkins' admonition wasn't heeded. With Ms Gillard claiming broad support for her carbon tax, opposition frontbencher Bob Baldwin - a well-fed fellow with the rolling gait of a Brahman bull - demanded that she ''name one Premier'' who agreed with her.
The Speaker instantly named Baldwin. Protocol demanded that the House vote on the matter, tradition holding that the majority would back the Speaker's judgment.
But in these uncertain days of paper-thin numbers, the government relying on a Green and a handful of independents, tradition means nothing.
Things went drastically awry.
Jenkins' authority went down the gurgler, 72-71. Independents Rob Oakeshott and WA National Tony Crook voted with the Opposition, Independents Bob Katter and Tony Windsor were absent and only the Green Adam Bandt and Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie sided with Labor. It was then that Harry Jenkins' face went lava-lamped, the frightful silence descended and Abbott leapt to his feet to save the Speaker, even if he was a Labor man.
Crisis, everyone was reminded, is no more than a vote away in this Parliament.
Tony Wright is Age national affairs editor.
Read more: www.theage.com.au/opinion/deafening-silence-in-house-shows-its-crisis-time-20110531-1fenm.html#ixzz1O18alexa
It soon became crystal clear what a f***-up this was. The Speaker threatened to resign. Had the Speaker stepped down, he would be replaced by the Deputy Speaker, who is from Tony's party. In a Parliament where there is only one vote between the Government and the Opposition, this would hand control to the Government and render Abbott impotent.
Tony leapt to his feet and effusively praised the Speaker and what a great bloke he is. Yeah right.
Deafening silence in house shows it's crisis time
June 1, 2011
Rarely has a more dreadful silence descended upon the House of Representatives.
The members had scared themselves witless.
Speaker Harry Jenkins' face, regularly ruddy, flicked to deathly white before flaring through all the shades of red, finally settling on puce.
''After question time,'' he intoned, ''I will be taking the time to consider my position.''
Jenkins was, pretty clearly, about to resign. It was the sort of crisis nobody had seen in Parliament for 40 years.
The gravity of it all was perhaps exacerbated by the dawning realisation that Jenkins would be replaced, at least in the short term, by Peter Slipper, a Queensland Liberal who accidentally became deputy Speaker in the confusion following last year's inconclusive federal election.
Slipper's more famed parliamentary efforts have included panicking after locking himself in a toilet - the door, security officials pointed out, was a slider rather than a swinger - and getting himself photographed by a naughty colleague while resting his eyes during a speech by the Indonesian President, after which he protested he was wide awake.
Possibly appalled by the prospect of Slipper ruling the roost, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott leapt to his feet to save the hapless Harry, declaring him a fine fellow who had conducted his difficult duties with impartiality and forbearance. And wonder upon wonder, Prime Minister Julia Gillard seconded Abbott's motion of confidence in the Speaker.
Only minutes before, everything had appeared perfectly normal. Government and opposition MPs were shouting at each other about the carbon tax and Jenkins was roaring for order. The next person to interject, Jenkins warned, would find themselves named.
Naming, in parliamentary parlance, is not simply shaming, which would be little more than meat and potatoes for today's politicians. No, to be named means being thrown out of Parliament for 24 hours, which denies the trangressor's party a potentially crucial vote.
Jenkins' admonition wasn't heeded. With Ms Gillard claiming broad support for her carbon tax, opposition frontbencher Bob Baldwin - a well-fed fellow with the rolling gait of a Brahman bull - demanded that she ''name one Premier'' who agreed with her.
The Speaker instantly named Baldwin. Protocol demanded that the House vote on the matter, tradition holding that the majority would back the Speaker's judgment.
But in these uncertain days of paper-thin numbers, the government relying on a Green and a handful of independents, tradition means nothing.
Things went drastically awry.
Jenkins' authority went down the gurgler, 72-71. Independents Rob Oakeshott and WA National Tony Crook voted with the Opposition, Independents Bob Katter and Tony Windsor were absent and only the Green Adam Bandt and Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie sided with Labor. It was then that Harry Jenkins' face went lava-lamped, the frightful silence descended and Abbott leapt to his feet to save the Speaker, even if he was a Labor man.
Crisis, everyone was reminded, is no more than a vote away in this Parliament.
Tony Wright is Age national affairs editor.
Read more: www.theage.com.au/opinion/deafening-silence-in-house-shows-its-crisis-time-20110531-1fenm.html#ixzz1O18alexa