Parliament in turmoil as Speaker resigns

Updated

Federal Parliament has been thrown into turmoil today with the sudden resignation of Speaker Harry Jenkins.

Mr Jenkins announced he was standing down in a statement to the House this morning, saying he wanted to go back into the cut and thrust of Labor Party decision making.

The move pitched Liberal Deputy Speaker Peter Slipper into the spotlight, with Labor Caucus wasting little time in nominating him for the Speaker's role - a move which would effectively give Labor one more seat in the House of Reps and lessen its reliance on independent and Greens MPs.

At present the support of Rob Oakeshott, Tony Windsor, Andrew Wilkie and Greens MP Adam Bandt gives the minority government power.

But Opposition Leader Tony Abbott hit back, saying it was the Government's responsibility to provide a Speaker and that his party room has decided that no Coalition MP should accept a nomination to sit in the Speaker's chair.

Mr Abbott called a press conference mid-morning to demand the government call an election over the issue.

"If it [Labor] cannot provide the Speaker then it can't remain in office," Mr Abbott said.

He indicated that Mr Slipper would be excluded from the Liberal party room and be expected to resign from the party if he accepted the nomination. Queensland's Liberal National Party, of which Mr Slipper is a member, has also threatened to throw him out if he accepts the Speaker's job.

Mr Jenkins' dramatic and unexpected move came as the House reconvened at 9:00am today, four years to the day after the Rudd government came to power.

"As members are aware in this the 43rd Parliament, to further avoid controversial party political matters I have divorced myself from involvement with the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party," Mr Jenkins told MPs.

"In this era of minority government I have progressively become frustrated at this stricture.

"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."

After his brief statement, where he thanked his staff, parliamentary officers and his "trouble and strife Michele", Mr Jenkins drove to Government House to officially resign to Governor-General Quentin Bryce.

In this era of minority government I have progressively become frustrated at this stricture. Harry Jenkins

"I go placidly with my humour intact. I wish you all well," he told MPs.

Mr Jenkins was given a standing ovation by both sides of the House.

"A remarkable thing has happened in the Parliament this morning," Prime Minister Julia Gillard told a hushed House after Mr Jenkins' announcement.

Ms Gillard said she would make a full statement on Mr Jenkins' resignation later today.

Mr Abbott called Mr Jenkins an "adornment to the Parliament" and said his resignation came "out of the blue."

"He has conducted himself in the chair with good humour, with impartiality, with forbearance, and with patience, and for that he has our thanks and our enduring respect," he said.

He has conducted himself in the chair with good humour, with impartiality ... and for that he has our thanks. Tony Abbott

"We do wish him well in his re-entry to the internal debates of the Labor Party. One must assume that something extraordinary is happening inside the Labor Party at the moment for the Speaker to resign his office to go back into those debates."

The Greens also said they would hold a party meeting to discuss the development later today.

What happens next?

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Rudd laughs as Slipper lets loose (Insiders)

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 Andrew Wilkie's repeated threats to bring 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.

He angered party bosses by appearing with Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd on the same day former prime minister John Howard was launching an LNP candidate's campaign.

Reports indicate he is unlikely to retain preselection 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.

Point of no return

Liberal backbencher Alex Somlyay says the situation puts an end to Tony Abbott's ambition to become prime minister without an election, saying he's "past the point of no return".

"I don't think Tony Abbott can realistically expect the independents to switch sides and he'll become prime minister," Mr Somlyay told ABC Radio.

"I think we're past that and it really doesn't matter whether Peter Slipper goes over to Labor formally or not. Tony Abbott is not going to become prime minister until the next election."

Mr Jenkins is the son of Harry Jenkins Senior, who served as Labor's speaker during the the Hawke government.

He succeeded his father in the seat of Scullin in Victoria in 1986, making him the longest currently-serving Labor MP.

He was deputy speaker during the Keating government, and became speaker when the Rudd government was elected in 2007.

As Speaker, Mr Jenkins oversaw a number of changes in the way Parliament operated under the minority government.

But he came close to leaving the position in May this year, when a motion to suspend Liberal MP Bob Baldwin was defeated by Rob Oakeshott voting with the Coalition.

Traditionally this is viewed as a motion of no confidence against the speaker, forcing them to step down.

However on that occasion Mr Abbott moved a motion of confidence in Mr Jenkins which was seconded by Julia Gillard.

Topics: federal-parliament, government-and-politics, alp, parliament, federal-government, australia

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