Liberal split over role
September 25, 2010
AUSTRALIA'S precariously hung parliament faced further divisions yesterday as a Coalition candidate for the deputy speakership said Tony Abbott's office had issued a statement on his behalf without his approval.
Liberal Alex Somlyay told The Age he was prepared to back the Gillard government on confidence and supply even though a statement had been issued by the Opposition Leader's office yesterday saying he had ''declined this approach''.
Mr Somlyay said the statement had been drafted by Mr Abbott's senior media adviser, Tony O'Leary and insisted: ''Those are Tony O'Leary's words, not mine.''
The five-paragraph statement suggested Mr Somlyay had declined Labor's request for confidence and supply and also declined its desire that he give up his vote.
But the Liberal MP later faxed his own one-paragraph statement to The Age, saying: ''After discussions with both the Labor Party and my own leader, the Hon. Tony Abbott MHR, I confirm that I will be contesting the nomination for the position of Deputy Speaker in the Coalition party room on Monday.''
Liberal sources dispute that Mr O'Leary wrote the first statement. Mr Somlyay put the afternoon's events down to ''a mix-up'' and added that ''no one likes to see mistakes happen''.
The Liberal MP confirmed he was prepared to offer Labor the same arrangement as the two rural independents. He would back supply and confidence provided there was no corruption, a partial win for the ALP.
His stance means he would support the government during no-confidence motions and on its money bills, critical issues for minority governments. But he made it clear he wants to maintain his right to vote on legislation, and not give up his vote as the government would prefer.
This means he will not agree to Labor's ''pairing'' proposal. The government has wanted the Speaker and Deputy Speaker's votes to be paired, which means they cancel each other out and preserve numbers in the chamber when MPs are absent.
Labor finally confirmed yesterday it would back one of its own, Harry Jenkins, to be Speaker of the House, and the government will also back the Liberal MP for the Deputy Speaker's position when Parliament resumes next week.
This means Mr Somlyay could end up with the deputy speakership even if he fails to win the nomination of his own party room.
Mr Somlyay says this will be his last term as an MP and he wants to use it to reform the processes of the Parliament.
''The reason I'm nominating for this position is because I'm a passionate advocate of parliamentary reform,'' he said. ....
Don't get me started.
) moved into the Lodge with her live-in boyfriend (aka "the first bloke"), a hairdresser. )Katter for deputy
TRADITIONALLY, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives comes from the opposition. But it appears that none of them want to honour agreements made with the independents on voting in the House.
The obvious answer is to offer the position to Bob Katter. His declared support for the Coalition puts him on the non-government side of politics, but at least he will vote in line with agreed principles on supply and confidence.
Graeme Smithies, Northcote
