Harry’s reasons

Harry Jenkins has ended the parliamentary year with a surprise, announcing he will resign as Speaker today:

In a statement to Parliament, Speaker Jenkins said he’d divorced himself from party political matters in order to carry out his duties in a non-partisan manner. “In this era of minority government I have progressively become frustrated at this stricture,” he said. “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.”

Which is no huge deal if that’s all there is to it. But with the rift between Deputy Speaker Peter Slipper and his party widening of late – the LNP is presently considering disciplinary action against him – the suspicion exists that the government has reached an arrangement with him. If so, the return of Jenkins to the floor would enable the government to win confidence motions 76-73 rather than 75-74. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Events are moving quicker than my iPad typing speed. Phillip Coorey of the Sydney Morning Herald reports:

The Liberal MP, Peter Slipper, is likely to become the next Speaker of the House of Representatives after Labor’s Harry Jenkins resigned this morning, shocking the Parliament on its final sitting day for 2011. Labor MPs will be asked to approve Mr Slipper’s nomination at a special caucus meeting scheduled for 10am.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

1,458 comments on “Harry’s reasons”

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  1. [how about Andrew Laming not voting on the speakership ballott??!!]

    I wondered at the time whether he was the one who wrote ‘NO’ on the Lib leadership ballot 2 years ago!

  2. [Take a Bex and have a good lie down.]

    I would have normally had a good smoke but i have been harassed into quitting by the smoking Nazies including Nicola Roxon (7 days now cold turkey).

  4. Bushfire

    Just before I sign off for the night. I didn’t read about Bob until too late to wish him well, but remembered your paeon of praise and affection for him only weeks ago, and felt great sympathy for you.
    Glad all came out OK for your little mate.

  7. [I would have normally had a good smoke but i have been harassed into quitting by the smoking Nazies including Nicola Roxon (7 days now cold turkey).]

    Good on you rummel! A major achievement and don’t let the nasty tobacco multinationals win.

    I wouldn’t worry too much about Mr Slipper. I suspect this is going to be wonderful for the Liberal movement in the long run. Nothing has actually changed on the floor of the house, the ALP were winning the votes anyway, but it looks grubby and aint good for the old ALP brand.

  8. [Im pissed about Abbott and now im a raging….. ok a cranky man from queanbeyan upset enough to write something to Slipper about my displeasure.]
    I’m sure Slipper will appreciate your support; he seems to be displeased with Abbott as well.

  9. rummel

    If you’re going cold turkey, I suppose we must forgive you a few episodes of hate against the world. Only for a little while, though. Good luck.

  11. Re: Wilkie’s pokie reforms.

    They could shaft Wilkie now, but I don’t think they will. The poker machine reforms are good policy as pointed out by the Productivity Commission; the ALP should have made the running on it themselves and many in the party know it. Of course some are scared of the political fallout, but as long as cool rationality prevails they will understand that the poker machine reforms have broad public support and walking away from the Wilkie deal will not go down well with the public.

    Further, I’d say there was always a question of the exact numbers for pokie reform given Windsor and/or Oakeshott have equivocated because of local pressure, and now there’s room for one or the other to be more flexible. This will be true of other votes, and the ALP won’t want to be burning bridges with Wilkie.

  12. Tom Watson is of the opinion that this one is going to be bigger than the phone hacking.

    [A 52-year-old man has become the first person arrested as part the Metropolitan police’s investigation into alleged computer hacking by the press.

    The man was arrested in Milton Keynes on Thursday morning in connection with computer misuse offences.

    He is the first person to be arrested by Scotland Yard’s Operation Tuleta, the force investigating breaches of privacy involving computers.]

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/nov/24/arrest-computer-hacking-investigation?newsfeed=true

  14. The Big Ship @ 946

    Derided as ‘the french polisher,’ this Bjelke Petersen dupe was a former ALP member who was not at all pleased when Gough called his mate Joh a ‘bible bashing bastard!’

    And when Gough used that memorable expression I was about 2 metres from the great man.

  15. [victoria
    Posted Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 10:27 pm | Permalink
    Mod Lib

    Just keep telling yourself that all will be well for your beloved libs. Just know that they are a rabble]

    they have a 14% lead over your mob so not sure what adjective you would use for them

  17. victoria:

    Only rusted on Liberals would be spinning an LNP member resigning his party membership and accepting a nomination to be Speaker in a Labor govt as bad for the ALP.

    And I expect Niki Savva to tu-tut tomorrow over Slipper’s pin striped suits and garish ties.

  18. the Libs are definitely good with their campaigning skills

    The trouble for the Libs is that they have dramatically over-played their hand, I think, Carey. It worked for a while, but the ranting and raving has been overdone, and now only works with their party faithful. For everyone else it is increasingly a turn off. Like the little boy who yelled “fire’ they are going to find it increasingly hard to get their message through, right or wrong. It all just sounds like noisy froth and bubble to most people now.

  19. Was Slipper supportive of Rudd’s apology to the stolen generations?

    Because as Speaker he will be delivering an acknolwedgement to TOs at the commencement of each day of the House.

  21. If the ALP wins at the next election: “The govt are in crisis, they are only a dozen by-elections away from collapsing! Election now!” “Nearly over half the population voted against the govt! Election now!”

  22. [Good on you rummel! A major achievement and don’t let the nasty tobacco multinationals win.]

    Its a win for my wife, over the past year she has slowly worked the budget around until we had a clear rule that we could only have $100 to spend on one self a fortnight. She then made it a smoking tax so that i could only spend my free cash on smoke (funny that i spent $100 a fortnight on smokes). So after three months of blowing the only free cash i had on Nails for my coffin i gave up.

    Now i have free cash i can start drinking booze again :0

  23. No hint of bias on Lateline – Tony Jones’ first utterance refers to the dangers of the ‘Thomson Scandal’ when no charges have yet been laid against anyone.

  25. [Mod Lib

    As far as I can tell, 2011 is ending the same way it started, with a Labor govt.]

    Except with -1 Coalition member in the House of Representatives.
    And +1 extra floor vote for the ALP.

  26. rummel

    [Take a Bex and have a good lie down.

    I would have normally had a good smoke but i have been harassed into quitting by the smoking Nazies including Nicola Roxon (7 days now cold turkey). ]
    All the best on quitting the habit. From everything I have read and heard from those that have tried it is damned hard. As motivation just think of gaining extra years to come and give some stick to people on PB : ) Never started so never a problem for me. Strangely I hated the smell of cigarettes but love the smell of cigars and pipe tobacco.

  29. [As far as I can tell, 2011 is ending the same way it started, with a Labor govt.]

    And an ALP govt with one extra vote on the floor of the House.

    🙂

  32. [Never started so never a problem for me. Strangely I hated the smell of cigarettes but love the smell of cigars and pipe tobacco.]

    I was a late starter to smoking. Got over run by a bush fire in 2003 Canberra and had a drag from a fellow fire fighter after the event. One led to two and a pack led to whats nothing wrong with this, i will quit at the end of the fires….. Well its 2011 and i was puffing like it was 1999….

    Agree love the smell of pipe but cant stand it smoking one.

  33. [Carey Moore
    Posted Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 10:35 pm | Permalink
    Mod Lib

    As far as I can tell, 2011 is ending the same way it started, with a Labor govt.

    Except with -1 Coalition member in the House of Representatives.
    And +1 extra floor vote for the ALP.]

    And a 4% pro ALP gap (Nov 19th 2010) has become a 14% pro Lib gap now.

    I suspect liberals are OK with an 18% gain over the course of the year actually!

  38. And a 4% pro ALP gap (Nov 19th 2010) has become a 14% pro Lib gap now.

    I suspect liberals are OK with an 18% gain over the course of the year actually!

    I’d take the extra seat actually. The Tories lead is soft.

  39. Mod Lib you should know from the Sharemarket that yesterdays results bears no resemblance to future prospects. I can even recall Scotch and Dry Leading a Melbourne Cup field by half the length of the straight. Never doubt the ability of a LNP rabble to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

  42. [Never doubt the ability of a LNP rabble to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.]

    Yes 1993 springs to mind.

    But so does 1996 and 2011 (NSW).

    Time will tell which is the most apt!

  43. I dont get the talk of shafting Wilkie- the PM rang him specifically this morning to tell him that this doesnt change anything.

    Mod Lib, youve done yourself no favours today. At times you seem to see reason, but today you have been as bad as Abbott. How you can try to spin today as bad for Labor is Shanahanesque

  47. For me the astounding thing in the whole Speaker matter is the way all of our world class journalists had not the foggiest.

    Maybe their morning talking points don’t canvas what is actually happening and only what they, the LNP and old mordoch want to happen. Typical journalist lost in the fantasy of their own importance can’t see past their own ego’s. LNP born to rule can’t imagine that anyone would leave their putrid presence for another position and old murdoch safe in his own position of mover and shaker must be just shaking with rage and the only thing he will be moving is his bowels when he finally realises he backed the biggest loser, the worst political player, lousiest negotiator and the laziest political party that this country has ever seen.

    If the LNP would stop looking loving over their shoulders to what they did in the past with their gone and defeated king rat they would be able to see the future and that doesn’t include junior rat or sitting on the other side of the chamber.

  50. Mod Lib

    [Why ?

    Six Giant Penises in New Zealand, Thanks Google Earth

    I shudder to think what you typed into google to find that one!]
    It was one of those quirky events that gets picked up and goes viral and global. So links are everywhere. Try out the totally innocent google search “google fairfield college”.

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