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”

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  1. [Abbott criticises Labor for “spinning” but has been spinning like a top himself on this.]

    They’ve been accusing Labor of Spin for years now, while themselves being the unrivaled champions of spin. Right-Wing Projection.

    [Note that the Libs are forcing their members not to vote for Slipper by threatening them with expulsion. How many times have we heard how the Libs allow a free vote and it’s the nasty Labor Party that forces everyone to vote the same way?]

    More RWP.

  3. A great day for Labor. wish we had footage of Abbott looking like he’d seen a ghost.
    It was hilarious seeing Abbott trying to spin this as negative for the government. What a fool. And the MSM arent buying it any more

  5. Gary

    Saw Abbott’s presser with him saying how this is a “bad day for democracy”, and in the next breath saying that anyone who votes for Slipper will be disenfranchised. This was said in all seriousness as well.

    Surprisingly, the assembled press members gave him a “hard” time over his spray. When I say “hard” time, of course I mean they hit him with a dry lettuce leaf instead of their usual wet one.

    Sheesh! You couldn’t make up stuff like this.

  7. [As for the Queensland LNP!!]

    We Qlanders did try to warn yous orl of the LNP’s – esp the L’s – Midas touch for self-destruction! Never count your electoral chickens before the final count’s finished! Somlyay is one of the long-time Ls in the LNP, as is Mal Brough, who opposed the LNP merger.

  9. confessions
    [I can’t see why the indies wouldn’t vote for Slipper. He’s proven an effective Deputy Speaker.]

    I think the indies would be rather more concerned about the numbers than the effectiveness of the Speaker. They lose some power, though Tom Hawkins makes a good point: in exchange for that the government is more stable and could withstand a lost byelection, so the indies’ power is more likely to last.

  10. [awelder Andrew Elder
    Dead right RT “@Pollytics: What this means is there’s going to be a hell of a lot more “naming” in #qt”
    ]

  11. Suddenly it feels safer to come out from under the bed. Politics is all about momentum and establishing a narrative. How’s that working out for Tony this week?

  14. [SpaceKidette Space Kidette
    Sinodinos reckons #harryresigns will backfire on ALP and will be seen as a cynical view and that Govt should be taking a strategic view.
    ]

  17. [z3n_digital Zen Digital
    RT @HarryJ_Speaker: “@JB_AU: Harry Jenkins resigns as leader of Australia’s largest child care centre #auspol” NOW that is funny
    ]

  19. [ebony_bennett ebony bennett
    LOL RT @Epigrammist Since Abbott thinks Brown is the real PM & govt should nominate the Speaker, the obvious choice is Bandt #auspol
    ]

  20. One interesting point here…. KRudd obviously has a lot to do with this development – coming in from the cold and getting ready to work towards narrowing the gap in 2012…..

  21. Cud,

    I don’t think it helps the Malaysian deal. Bandt and Wilkie oppose offshore processing fullstop and it would still have to pass the Greens senate.

  24. Fisher in 2010 election.

    Would appear that it would not require too much of a personal vote for Slipper to see him retain on the back of ALP and GRN preferences.

    But I would defer to OPT, Rua, others’ wisdom on the Byzantine world of Qld politics…
    [Chris Cummins……ALP….22,332….30.3%
    Robyn Robertson…..FF…….5,421……7.4
    Garry Claridge……..Grn….11,664….15.8
    Hon Peter Slipper….LNP….34,235….46.5]
    http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/2010/2010repsqld.txt

  27. Mr Slipper has been elected and accepted the position of Speaker of the House and as such will now be expected to resign his Noalition Party membership.

  29. [HarryJ_Speaker Not Harry Jenkins
    “@JB_AU: Harry Jenkins resigns as leader of Australia’s largest child care centre #auspol]

    With Slipper I am not sure they will have a ‘naughty corner’ big enough.

  30. [Space Kidette
    Posted Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 11:29 am | Permalink
    Cud,

    I don’t think it helps the Malaysian deal. Bandt and Wilkie oppose offshore processing fullstop and it would still have to pass the Greens senate.]
    But if it passes the lower house, then the Greens can be blamed (as well as the Noalition) for blocking it in the Senate??

  34. OzPol Tragic

    [As for the Queensland LNP!!

    We Qlanders did try to warn yous orl of the LNP’s – esp the L’s – Midas touch for self-destruction! Never count your electoral chickens before the final count’s finished! Somlyay is one of the long-time Ls in the LNP, as is Mal Brough, who opposed the LNP merger.]
    Surely you jest ? I heard McFarlane explaining with a straight face that Qld’s LNP merger is the model that the rest of the nation’s Liberal and National Parties should follow. Apparently “We are all brothers and sisters up there”. : )

  35. Dan # 174

    I’m intrigued as to what the tactics from the Noalition will be in QT today, will they take Slipper on or play it with a straight bat?

  37. [latingle Laura Tingle
    i should add albo and pm not looking at all jaunty .. indeed a little grim.. does this add to growing rumours about other developments
    16 minutes ago]
    Is Craig Thomson going to be charged?

  38. [But if it passes the lower house, then the Greens can be blamed (as well as the Noalition) for blocking it in the Senate?]

    As they’re quite entitled to.

  40. [Oh ‘frabulous’ day! More evidence, if it was ever needed, that the Govt is exerting better agenda control and management day by day.]

    Exactly.

    +++

    That nice Mr Abbott, the Government’s friend, looked terminally frazzled at his press conference earlier today. Quite green around the gills. I do hope the caring and sharing hard-heads in the Liberal Party recognize he is a distressed unit and allow him to continue his manic lust for power. Maybe suggest he don the budgies for a refreshing dunking? Grin and bare it. Eventually, voters will sniff the toxicity.

  41. See the headline int he Telegraph – “Government in turmoil as Speaker resigns”. They have no idea at all, do they?

    The overlooked thing so far in all this is the obviously very contructive role Rudd played including his visit to Slipper’s electorate last week.

    Hardly the work of a man trying to white ant his own Party, is it?

  42. [Too bad it’s Senate day for the ABC.]

    I think they usually cover the Reps on ABC News 24 don’t they? Otherwise, I’m sure they could just decide to show the Reps QT anyway.

  44. [One interesting point here…. KRudd obviously has a lot to do with this development – coming in from the cold and getting ready to work towards narrowing the gap in 2012…..]

    I sincerely hope that is the case. Kev with a smile will help enormously especially in QLD

  46. Regarding the Offshore Processing Bill, Katter, Oakeshott and Windsor support the governement’s bill; Wilkie and Bandt were opposed. As such, the bill would bea ble to pass the HOR with 75 votes to 74 (after Crook, Wilkie and Bandt side with the 71 LNP members). However its doomed in the Senate, with only the ALP (and maybe the DLP’s Madigan) supporting (only 32 votes out of 76).

  47. [latingle Laura Tingle
    i should add albo and pm not looking at all jaunty .. indeed a little grim.. does this add to growing rumours about other developments
    19 minutes ago]

    Any ideas? She’s said nothing else.

  48. I thought it was significant that one of the journos asked Abbott if he thought this situation reflects on his leadership (which of course it does).

    I think we’ll be hearing a lot more of that now.

  50. If it’s just Albo and Gillard looking grim, then maybe Jenkins is going to replace Albo as leader of the house, and Rudd will replace Gillard as PM. 😉

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