Peter Slipper has been labelled a "Liberal rat" after resigning from his party to take up the role of Speaker, a move which buttresses the minority Gillard Government against the threat of losing the support of independents.

The Member for Fisher took over as Speaker of the Lower House from Labor's Harry Jenkins, who stepped down from the position on Thursday morning saying he wanted to re-enter the fray of Labor policy-making.

Queensland's Liberal National Party has accepted Mr Slipper's resignation, describing his acceptance as Speaker as an act of "gross disloyalty".

"Evidence presented to the party confirmed that Mr Slipper had been planning for some time to leave the LNP, and this evidence confirms Mr Slipper's actions today were premeditated and in train for an extensive period of time," LNP Queensland director Michael O'Dwyer said in a statement.

"In accepting the nomination for the role of Speaker of the Federal Parliament, the state executive has determined Mr Slipper has betrayed his colleagues in the federal Liberal and National parties."

Destabilise

Mr O'Dwyer said Mr Slipper was working to destabilise his party.

"In recent months the LNP has been inundated with complaints from local grassroots members who have expressed serious concerns about the behaviour and actions of Mr Slipper," he said.

"[Mr Slipper] told a third party that he was intending to resign from the party during the forthcoming state election to purposely create a serious distraction for his state colleagues."

Former Liberal minister Peter Reith says Mr Slipper's colleagues feel betrayed by the move, which effectively gives Labor one more seat in the House of Representatives and lessens its reliance on independent and Greens MPs.

"Whatever they say publicly, to his grave he'll always be a Liberal rat," Mr Reith told ABC News 24's The Drum.

"And I think he deserves it."

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'Rudd behind deal'

In Thursday afternoon's rambunctious session of Parliament, the last for the year, Mr Slipper tossed out four Coalition MPs including Luke Simpkins, Peter Dutton, Tony Smith and George Christensen.

Just last week Mr Slipper held a school visit with foreign minister Kevin Rudd on the same day that John Howard launched the campaign of state LNP candidate John Connelly.

Mr Slipper said that was just a coincidence, but LNP president Bruce McIvor told Fairfax's Brisbane Times that Mr Rudd was behind the deal to install Mr Slipper as Speaker.

Neither Mr Rudd nor Mr Slipper have commented on that suggestion.

While Mr Slipper backed the notorious Joh for PM campaign in the 1980s, the colourful MP defected from the Nationals to the Liberals, for whom he has held Fisher since 1993.

Constituents unhappy

Now, residents of the Sunshine Coast electorate, traditionally a conservative bastion, are speaking out against his move to the cross-benches as an independent.

"It gives too much favour to the Labor voters or the Labor people that are in Parliament," one woman said.

"By him becoming the Speaker means that he's not going to be able to be holding up the numbers in the Liberal Party."

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Another resident said: "I don't particularly like Peter Slipper. I don't think he's much use to the Sunshine Coast, so it doesn't really interest me what he does; I don't think he'll be re-elected anyway at the next election.

"I think he's done nothing for the Coast; he's more interested in himself."

Bitter feud

Mr Slipper's resignation brings to an end a bitter feud that has been wracking the Sunshine Coast branches of the LNP, with reports indicating he was unlikely to retain pre-selection.

As he made his way back to his electorate, Queensland LNP backbencher Scott Buchholtz was treading carefully.

"He's done what he's done, I can't change it. If I had my way, I would have preferred him not to do it," he said.

In Parliament, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott accused Labor of sacrificing Harry Jenkins to protect Prime Minister Julia Gillard's political career.

Coalition frontbenchers including Peter Dutton are still suggesting the former speaker was forced out.

"I think the Labor Party has sold out on Harry Jenkins," he said.