salad in wrote on Nov 24^th, 2011 at 8:15am:

Unfortunately it does not mean that guggly Gillard and the Labor loonies will be junked as Harold will still be a member of the Labor mob. It just means there will be a new speaker - maybe Kevin 11 ?


House Speaker Harry Jenkins resigns
BY: BEN PACKHAM From: The Australian November 24, 2011 9:09AM

THE Speaker of the House of Representatives has resigned.

SPEAKER of the Federal parliament Harry Jenkins has resigned from his post, saying he wants to participate more in Labor Party policy and affairs.

He will visit the Governor-General today to make the decision official.

Today will be his last day as speaker.

The move comes amid a further breakdown in relations of Liberal Deputy Speaker Peter Slipper and his own party.

Opposition leader Tony Abbott said he’d had no notice of the move and he believed something “extraordinary” had occurred.

In a statement to Parliament, Speaker Jenkins said he’d divorsed 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.

“As a consequence, when I vacate the Chair at the end of this short statement I will visit the Governor-General to tender my resignation as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“I thank all members for their co-operation which they have dispensed to varying degrees depending upon the individual.”

 Opposition Leader Tony Abbott thanked Mr Jenkins for “serving this parliament with distinction for four years”.

“It is a remarkable thing for this parliament to witness out of the blue the resignation of the speaker,” he said.

“One must assume that’s something extraordinary is happening in the Labor party at the moment for the speaker to resign his office,’’ he said

Mr Abbott said the Coalition would support whoever Labor proposed to replace Mr Jenkins.

Prime Minster Julia Gillard said she would speak further about Mr Jenkins resignation later today.

 

FRED. wrote on Nov 24^th, 2011 at 8:18am:

Why would it bye bye to Gillard? if anything this will strengthen the gov. Jenkins is now another vote for the gov, and if the whispers I've been hearing are true, Peter slipper is about to dump the Liberal party ans sit as an Independent, most likely as speaker on the house,so that means Labor now have a proper majority and the Libs will find it much harder to spoil the broth, all good good, wait till this arvo for my prophecy to be born out.
I'm sorry to see Jenkins go, he's a good speaker, but I bet there is a deal with Slipper, he hates Abbott,

Unfortunately all it means is that someone else will be speaker and this will most likely be someone else from the Labor party so nothing changes.

If Harold had resigned from the Labor Party to live on his very fat taxpayer funded pension then there would be shouting from the rooftops and dancing in the streets.

Slipper may slip in.

[quote author=Goddy link=1322086543/0#8 date=1322087820]
This was done intentionally by Labor; I believe Jenkins wanted to resign of his own accord, but I think Labor knew it was coming.

They're forming a majority government.[/quote]
exactly.
Labor have been in  talks with slipper who is about to lose preselection for his seat, I expect Slipper to announce his resignation from the Libs within the next couple of hours and become the independent speaker of the house. LOL, Abbott says something "extraordinary happening in the gov, the stupid fool has no idea.

 If Slipper slips in and  he is still officially a member of the LNP. With an ALP or Indie as Deputy.  It would be Check! Checkmate?

BYE BYE Chesty-KING Abbott.