Tension ... Prime Minister Julia Gillard passes Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. Credit:Andrew Meares Mr Slipper survived by 70 votes to 69 after Tony Abbott moved a motion of no confidence, triggered by texts Mr Slipper sent his former staffer James Ashby. Mr Slipper apologised for the text messages but this did not placate his critics. At 7.20pm (AEDT), he entered the House for the first time since April when he stood aside, pending sexual harassment allegations. Choking back tears, he announced his resignation ''with great sadness''. ''It is in the interests of the Parliament that I do choose voluntarily to stand down at this time,'' he said.

Stepping down ... Peter Slipper. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Mr Slipper will continue in Parliament as an independent backbencher. The Deputy Speaker, Anna Burke, was chosen to replace him last night. Ms Burke is the third Speaker in this term of Parliament - a record. Nationals MP Bruce Scott was elected Deputy Speaker after the independents sided with the Coalition to defeat Labor's choice of Steve Georganas. Labor now needs five of seven crossbenchers to win votes on the floor and will routinely need the support of either Mr Slipper or the former Labor MP, Craig Thomson. Earlier, Mr Slipper tried to defuse the situation by apologising for the text messages which contained vulgar euphemisms for female genitalia and one described the Liberal frontbencher Sophie Mirabella as an ''ignorant botch''. Mr Slipper said although the messages were private, ''nothing excuses their content''.

''I understand why people, particularly women, would be offended by these statements and I unreservedly apologise for them,'' he said. Mr Slipper initially survived yesterday because three crossbenchers, Mr Windsor, Mr Oakeshott and Adam Bandt, voted with the government. Mr Windsor had visited Mr Slipper at lunchtime suggesting he quit but he resisted. When he and Mr Oakeshott visited Mr Slipper while debate was raging over the no-confidence motion to urge him to go affter the vote, the manager of government business, Anthony Albanese was already there talking to him. The Tasmanian independent, Andrew Wilkie, voted with the opposition, while Bob Katter abstained. He said he did not support Mr Slipper but nor would he support Parliament pre-empting a legal process. Mr Slipper's resignation clears the way for the government to renew its attacks on Mr Abbott as a misogynist.

Mr Abbott said the Prime Minister could not accuse him of misogyny and then ''defend the indefensible''. ''It's clear that this Speaker is no longer a fit and proper person to uphold the dignity of the Parliament. You indicate your unfitness for high office as well.'' Mr Abbott made a gaffe when he used the same term as Alan Jones when he insulted Ms Gillard's dead father. He said every day the government defended Mr Slipper would ''be another day of shame for this Parliament and another day of shame for a government which should have already died of shame''. Mr Abbott later told Jones's station, 2GB, it was an unintended reference and the criticism showed ''the political correctness police are on a rampage''. The Deputy Opposition Leader, Julie Bishop, was a guest on Jones's program yesterday, the first Coalition MP to do so since the scandal erupted.

In defending Mr Slipper, Ms Gillard excoriated Mr Abbott saying: ''I will not be lectured about sexism or misogyny by this man. If he wants to know what sexism looks like in the House of Representatives, he doesn't need a motion, he needs a mirror.'' She revealed sexist ''catcalls'' Mr Abbott made at her across the despatch table during question time and took issue with his attending a rally that featured unsavoury placards. ''He could apologise for standing next to signs describing me as a witch and a bitch,'' Ms Gillard said. ''The government is not dying of shame. My father did not die of shame.'' Loading The Federal Court is due to rule soon on whether to throw out the harassment claim against Mr Slipper or send it to trial. He is also awaiting a decision by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions on whether it will pursue allegations he misused Cabcharges. Follow the National Times on Twitter