Former Speaker Bronwyn Bishop's decision to sit in the party room enraged the opposition and Labor leader Bill Shorten said the Parliament could not afford a "repeat of [that] partisanship". Former Speaker Bronwyn Bishop's decision to sit in the party room enraged the opposition, who questioned her independence in the role. Credit:Andrew Meares Labor wants the new Speaker to set higher standards of independence and sit out of party room meetings, and is also calling for the Deputy Speaker to come from Labor. Fairfax Media contacted the five men to ask if they will continue to attend the party room. Mr Southcott refused to state whether he would attend party rooms if named Speaker, his spokesman saying "he would not be canvassing the job in the media".

"If successful, he will be guided by the precedent of previous Speakers," the spokesman added. Victorian MP Tony Smith has told colleagues he plans to skip party room meetings if he takes over the chair. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui Mr Vasta also refused to state his position on the issue. Mr Smith would not comment on Friday but he has told colleagues he plans to skip party room meetings if he takes over the chair. Philip Ruddock Ruddock said the attacks were "a wake-up call" for groups that had opposed national security measures. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Ruddock said while he is not campaigning for the job he will make himself available if asked. If successful, Mr Ruddock said he will vote in major party room issues like leadership ballots but said when it came to short-term tactical meetings: "I think the Speaker should not be engaged in the process". Victorian Russell Broadbent says he will continue to attend party room meetings if Speaker: "I have a responsibility to my electorate." Credit:Andrew Meares But Mr Broadbent says he will continue attending party room meetings if he is named Speaker on Monday. "I have responsibility to my electorate and I want to know what's going on in there," he said.

"I'm a regional member of Parliament, when regional matters come up I want to know what the Prime Minister is saying and I want to know what everybody else is saying." But former Labor Speaker and now backbench MP Anna Burke told Fairfax Media it was important for the new Speaker to give the public the perception of independence, which would help restore confidence in the system. "You should resist being partisan, don't go to caucus, don't go to party room," Ms Burke said. Ms Burke said her decision to boycott caucus meetings never once hampered her ability to serve her constituents. "Funnily enough, as Speaker you can actually get ministers to return your calls. I had better access to the ministry as Speaker than ever," she said.

Another former Labor Speaker Harry Jenkins attended caucus prior to the minority government result in 2010 but would leave before parliamentary tactics were raised. But he never attended caucus during his time as Speaker presiding over Julia Gillard's minority government because of the hung Parliament. This was the same position adopted by Ms Burke who became Speaker after Peter Slipper's resignation from the job in disgrace in 2012. Follow us on Twitter Follow Latika Bourke on Facebook