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”

Comments Page 23 of 30
1 … 22 23 24 … 30

  1. [Fulvio Sammut

    Posted Friday, November 25, 2011 at 1:05 am | Permalink

    So Tony Crooks, self appointed free thinking independent WA National in the Federal Parliament, the crusader for righteous constituent interests, turns out to be no more than a grubby, weasely brown bag carrier for Tony Abbott and the Liberals in their sordid and squalid attempt to bribe Rob Oakshott.

    Who’da thunk?
    ]

    And the Cornutto got in on ALP Preferences as well.

    Testa Di Cazzo

  2. [Indeed. A terrific account of how Twitter, Mumbrella and Mark Colvin activated the Kyle Sandilands episode as a story, because God knows his audience didn’t think anything of it when it happened.]
    Too many words in that. Let me fix it for you:
    [Indeed. A terrific account of how Twitter, Mumbrella and Mark Colvin activated the Kyle Sandilands episode as a story, because God knows his audience doesn’t think.]
    There, much better.

  3. Any truth in the rumour that Kyle Sandilands is in the running for preselection for the Liberals in a safe seat?

    And that he is being touted as a nascient Tony Abbott?

  6. Actually, I think it’s more a case of “we need to talk about Tony”, but the two superannuated hacks who penned that cats vomit would never entertain the possibility.

  7. Max Mosley drew the Murdoch is Mafia link that Tom Watson did! Specifically, he sent a letter to Rupert in New York asking him to investigate something Mosley thought was illegal within News International. He got no reply or acknowledgement; that’s in about three weeks. Careful man that he is, he has evidence from the US Postal Service that the letter was delivered.

    Five minute break.

  9. The teste di cazzo are the ALP aparachiks who allocated him their preferences.

    Better an ineffectual laughing stock arsewipe like Tuckey than a conniving two faced bull artist with an air of faux credibility about him.

  11. Mosley on Leverson’s Inquiry BBC
    ____________________
    Mosley has taken NEWS LTD to task and won some court actions for invasion of privacy after the NEWS LTD reports of his private sex parties.

    As he said ,the NOTW described them as of “unimaginable depravity”but he didn’t know how the imagination of the NOTW reporter worked(very dry wit)

    He made a good case for the right of adults to do whatever they want to do.in private…
    Dressed in his conservative suit,softly spoken …he sounded every bit the country gentleman(which he is!) ..or like some country Vicar…not like a man involved in Formula One racing/motor-bikies and giver of really great wild sex parties.

    But he he has another claim to fame…his name !!

    His father now long dead was a charismatic British Politician who after WW1 entered the Commons as a Tory, MP…then later became a Liberal and finally joined the Labour Party, In 1929 he had a Junior Cabinet post.in that Labour Govt..and was seen by many as leadership material.
    He was deeply worried about unemployment and as the Great Depression hit Britain and brought down the Labor Govt . he formed a new party but then became interested in Hitler’s and Mussolini efforts to cope with the Depression

    . He was much impressed by both,and became a regular visitor to pre-war Germany and a friend of all the Nazi leaders ..
    Hitler liked him,and when he married his second wife Dianne(Max Mosley Mum !!!) the marrige took place in Berlin with Dr Goebells as best man !!

    What a wedding party !!! The British Fascists marched into the working class East End
    and fought street fights with the Communists and attacked other left-wing groups too
    and got done like a dinner too!!

    The Tory govt. eventually took action to curb the Fascists….but at the time the New King
    Edward 8 and his mistress Mrs Simpson were also admirers of Hitler et al

    When WW2 came Mosley and his wife Dianne,were interned for the duration along with their mates.
    Later they went into exile in Ireland and later Franco’s Spain

    Max Mosley in all fairness has never defended his father or fascism,but has stuck to racing cars/motor-bikes and riotous sex parties…sounds a lot more fun than fascism..and less harmfull !

  12. [Any truth in the rumour that Kyle Sandilands is in the running for preselection for the Liberals in a safe seat?

    And that he is being touted as a nascient Tony Abbott?]

    And a future Speaker too? 😉

    Kyle is just a troll, and like most trolls, a mimophant.

  14. Apparently Gillard has failed another La Stupenda Test.

    http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/pms-bait-and-switch-for-power-20111124-1nwwh.html

    It appears the government should have kept Harry Jenkins in the Speaker’s Chair, thus allowing the Press Gallery to continue with their “one heartbeat away from losing government” line.

    Despite Harry’s self-demotion actually making government more stable (something which Michelle seems to think is bad for the country), when Craig Thomson comes before the beak (if he ever does), or Kevin Rudd resigns his seat it is not automaticall bye-byes for the government now.

    This has upset La Stupenda who kinda liked finding fault in – well – just about everything the government and especially Ms. Gillard does.

    Her first paragraph reads:

    [Julia Gillard has gained a lot with Slipper ascending to Speaker, but the deal also has a tawdry feel about it.]

    Her last paragraph reads:

    [Last night Labor was looking smug but grubby. Gillard has added a dubious deal to an unfortunate record of stabbing her former leader in the back, and breaking a key election promise. Some of her colleagues do not accept her account of events. While the prospect of the government lasting full term is much enhanced, Gillard’s own fate rests where it was before – on the opinion polls. Sometimes the hung Parliament forces the government to do the odd good thing. You might say we saw that this week when it had to agree to more scrutiny of coal seam gas development. And sometimes it brings out the worst in a leader and a party. We saw that yesterday.]

    While writing the article La Stupenda has worked herself up.

    She starts out by saying the government looks “a bit tawdry” but, by the end, her dudgeon is high. The government is “grubby” and this is “the worst” the PM and her party could have done. The Rudd “stabbing” gets a run too. Can Ruddstoration be far behind?

    It’s all the usual litany of sins from the Old Boiler, sitting in moral judgement over a Prime Minister and a government that have done nothing more than shore up their parliamentary position and, in doing so, have taken away from the Gallery one of its most treasured memes: that of a government in permanent crisis based on a single vote majority.

    Grattan spits out venom using the old journo’s trick of re-listing all the supposed “sins” when an alleged new one is uncovered and added. She concedes a government can do good things, but only when forced to. She has nothing constructive to say, ever.

    She seems incredibly miffed by the Jenkins Affair. It doesn’t conform to the script outline she had ready for when a Labor member got into trouble, self-inflicted or otherwise.

    She neglects to mention that the LNP practically begged Slipper to make the move when the vacancy opened up.

    She doesn’t even bother to discuss whether Jenkins was speaking the truth when he said he wanted to get involved again in real politics.

    It was all lies and “grubby” machinations in Grattan’s poisoned mind. The “worst” behaviour possible.

    No surprises there.

    But it does get me to thinking that, in company with Tony Wright, also of the Age, La Stupenda should take a rest from journalism and go on a holiday… a long one.

    She no longer adds anything to the debate, except spite.

  15. Steve Lewis does a predictable job on Peter Slipper… “Slippery rat Peter Slipper the Kinf Of Perks”.

    http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/slippery-pete-the-king-of-perks/story-fn7q4q9f-1226205393093

    … complete with Steve Lewis trademark: a doctored image, showing Slipper as a rat with whiskers and elongated ears.

    How hilarious.

    You’d think Lewis would have learned about doctored images by now.

    The agony being shown by the newspapers as their meme of the government being “one heartbeat away from oblivion” is pleasant to see.

  16. Bludgers,
    I am having a bad night. I have not slept at all for thinking about my dogs and my hubby. I am going to my stepson’s birthday party in the nursing home for people with disabilities.He has developed dementia so it is going to be a bit sad too. I reckon I am going to very washed out by the time I get to the PB get-together.

    This is not how I planned it.

  18. Geez, Puff, you’ve had a crappy run lately.

    How old is your stepson? Dementia is awful enough when it hits the elderly, but seems extra awful when it hits the young.

    I remember a few years ago hearing the tragic story of Rita Hayworth and how she developed dementia very early in life and, by her late 40s, was having to be cared for by her own daughter (up to and including having to change nappies). Not the sort of end you’d envisage for a former sex goddess, and it just goes to show that life can sometimes be cruel for the “golden” people as well as us mere mortals.

  19. Yes, BB I’m afraid that along with the rise of the Abbott Opposition to Godlike status in our newspapers over the past couple of years there has been a corresponding fall off in the standard of Editorial cartooning and satire in this country. Once subtle humour has been replaced by predictable, sulky and vengeful images.

  20. Good morning Dawn Patrollers. BK reporting for duty on time today.

    BB
    La Stupenda seems to have excelled herself this morning according to your dissection.
    How is the dog this morning?

    Puff
    You will be among friends this afternoon.

  21. PS Good morning to all the early rising Bludgers.

    Nice to see the Coalition unravelling nicely and taking parts of the Canberra Press Gallery with them.

    I especially love the fact that NO-ONE seems to have seen this one coming … except for the blogosphere. Der. I think there should be a swap: stick all the Grattans of the world on blogs and replace them on newspapers with a Bushfire Bill or two. The sudden upswing in the standard of political analysis (not to mention entertainment) might actually help save the odd newspaper, who knows?

    PPS REALLY looking forward to the PB (SA Chapter) Get-together this arvo. I hope you can make it, Puff, because I am especially looking forward to meeting you.

  22. [Rod Hagen
    Posted Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 9:30 pm | Permalink

    Wilkie went on the record this afternoon on Sky, saying Gillard phoned him personally at 8.30 this morning and told him, in these exact words, “Nothing has changed” re. the Pokies legislation.

    Harry has also, even while Speaker, gone very clearly on the record expressing concern about the impact of pokies in his own electorate. He won’t have made the move without watertight assurances on the matter.]

    That’s pretty close to the money, Rod. Harry is committed to doing something on pokies. With Abbott’s lot opposing and the NSW Indies yet to declare their hand, this allows one more vote for action. If Albo-Gillard can secure Crook and Katter, it’s over the line even without the NSW Indies.

  25. [Wilkie went on the record this afternoon on Sky, saying Gillard phoned him personally at 8.30 this morning and told him, in these exact words, “Nothing has changed” re. the Pokies legislation]

    None of the MSM political commentators mentioned that the Slippper move may be more about ensuring the continuance and stability of the govt if a labor mp has to resign, eg Thomson, or labor loses a mp for another reason, instead they are reading into it a shafting of Wilkie.

  27. and Tone made a very ironic remark this morning when asked if Slipper was a rat.

    He is what he is said Tone.

    and Tone?

    I yam what I yam.

  28. Pass the Popcorn, according to the Courier Mail this morning what we are seeing here is the next round of the National versus Liberal LNP punch up in Queensland. The former National Slipper is being picked on by former Liberal Brough and co.

    [“There is what could only be described as white hot fury at the way this has been handled by the LNP senior office bearers,” said a senior Coalition source close to Mr Abbott.

    Another senior source said: “They completely defied the wishes of the leader and went against all of Tony’s advice.”

    But Queensland Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce said Mr Slipper’s defection was “inevitable” after his rival Mal Brough campaigned to win preselection in the Sunshine Coast electorate of Fisher.

    LNP state director Michael O’Dwyer said Mr Slipper’s defection had been planned weeks ago and the rogue MP had warned he would sabotage Campbell Newman’s bid to become state premier.

    The move has also fuelled questions about Mr Abbott’s control over his party.

    “Tony Abbott is now past the point of no return,” LNP MP Alex Somlyay said.

    “There is no way the Independents would switch to support the Coalition.”

    Mr Slipper said he would serve impartially but told Parliament: “I must say that I have been encouraged in this opportunity to serve the Parliament in a new way by the actions of some people in the Liberal National Party in recent times.”]

    http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/lnp-angry-over-handling-of-rogue-member/story-e6freoof-1226205486390

  29. [What must these types be thinking?]

    Good Morning BK,

    Moon River …. wider than a mile .. i crossing you in style one day … Massage at Tiffany

  32. [rummel
    Posted Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 10:20 pm | Permalink

    Rummel, I hope it was the last as well as the first.

    It takes a hell of a lot to get me off my arm chair. I was happy to gripe about the carbon tax and not really do something about it, but that bloody slipper.

    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 felt the same about Colston – so I can understand how you might feel. But it should never have come to this.

    Abbott and Pyne reneged on the original pairing agreement made about the speaker and deputy, simply to try and gain an advantage with the numbers.

  33. [Abbott and Pyne reneged on the original pairing agreement made about the speaker and deputy, simply to try and gain an advantage with the numbers.]
    Another example of Tone’s inability to see beyond the next ten second news grab.
    A tactical genius!

  36. sort of sums things up, task for next year must be to end murdoch’s reign

    [chrismurphys chris murphy
    Murdoch uses his 70%press power to denigrate DepSpeaker Peter Slipper promotion.Why so shy on UK crimes he sponsored at NewsLtd #auspol
    3 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply ]

  37. Morning all. Raining here in Adelaide but it still has a lovely feeling in the air.

    Lots of dirt on Peter Slipper in that SMH article. He has overstepped the financial mark more than once:
    [Small beer for a spender like Peter Slipper. His phone bill alone for half of 2009 was $14,764, which was more than that of Kevin Rudd, who was prime minister at the time. His cabs cost $16,000 over just six months, plus $8600 on private-plate cars (it was later revealed his son was spending time driving the taxpayer-funded car).]
    http://www.theage.com.au/national/new-order-20111124-1nwvb.html#ixzz1eejapqXz

    What I can’t understand is how Labor found someone so devoid of ethics and motivated by personal financial gain in the Liberal Party!? After all, isn’t their philosophy that pursuit of personal wealth is a good thing and should be permitted ahead of everything else? Then the Liberals should be proud of Slippery Pete. He is the embodyment of their ideals 🙂

  38. [None of the MSM political commentators mentioned that the Slippper move may be more about ensuring the continuance and stability of the govt if a labor mp has to resign, eg Thomson, or labor loses a mp for another reason, instead they are reading into it a shafting of Wilkie.]

    Apologies, Hartcher has a very good article on what it means for stability and govt legislation. Appears to mainly Tone’s cheer squad writing up Wilkie angle

  39. [William Bowe
    Posted Friday, November 25, 2011 at 1:30 am | Permalink
    Accounts of the life and times of Peter Slipper from the Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian, both loaded with very awkward facts for the whole endeavour.]
    Awkward facts? I doubt anyone cares. Support is assured, unlike Jenkins who we know lost a vote. Slipper will not waste anytime chucking the rabble out. We may not see a high standard of debate, but we will see better behaviour.

  40. [William Bowe
    Posted Friday, November 25, 2011 at 1:30 am | Permalink
    Accounts of the life and times of Peter Slipper from the Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian, both loaded with very awkward facts for the whole endeavour.]

    Is Bilbo channeling or auditioning for #TheirABC especially #ABCNews24?

  41. The first question someone should ask the Liberals about Peter Slipper is, if he is so bad, why did they keep pre-selecting him for a safe seat for over a decade? Is he their best?

  43. Morning all

    BB hope Bob is doing well.

    To the SA chapter of PB, enjoy the get together, and Puff as BK said, you will be among friends. Chin up.

    the Libs are furious that Slipper chucked in his membership to become speaker. heck, he was the deputy speaker. Always a chance he would be happy to take the top job considering he was being shafted by his own party so that they could go back to the future with Brough. Slipper’s issues with expenses is nothing knew. Why would it become suddenly important to the msm and the coalition? Surely they could have bitched about it before today. How hypocriticalment!

    BB

    Back to Ms Grattan, she really is a waste of space. Main reason why I cancelled my subscription to the Age weeks ago. She is bitter and twisted.

  44. Hard copy of the Herald Sun front page

    PROBE INTO JULIA’S JUDAS

    FFS how on earth could Slipper be Judas for Julia? He was a Judas to Abbott.

    If anyone is under any illusion that the msm is fair and balanced, has rocks in their head

  46. victoria???
    [If anyone is under any illusion that the msm is fair and balanced, has rocks in their head]
    Do please keep up with current affairs.
    [NEWS Limited chairman and chief executive John Hartigan yesterday rejected claims the company’s newspapers are waging a biased campaign against the Gillard government and described an inquiry into the media as being based on false presumptions.]
    There. No bias. News Corp says so.
    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/labor-chasing-press-scapegoat-says-news-ceo-john-hartigan/story-e6frg996-1226198306659

  48. Laocoon

    What is even more hilarious about people like John Hartigan, is that in the UK high profile people such as author JK Rowling, are fronting up the hacking inquiry to say their piece against this organisation.

  49. [I want to speak about someone who is venal. I want to speak about someone who is unscrupulous. I want to speak about someone who is mercenary. I want to speak about someone who is contemptible and despicable. I want to speak about someone who is the most useless and abominable representative the federal parliament has ever seen. ]

    Guess who said it about whom ….

  50. The media done understand the bible

    Its the other way around,BUT But, its none of these of course,

    The libs didn’t want slipper in their team so he left,

Comments are closed.

Comments Page 23 of 30
1 … 22 23 24 … 30