ON THE OTHER FOOT: 'Slipper is Gillard's problem now' - Polidicks

[img]http://resources2.news.com.au/cs/newscomau/v2/_shared/base/css/images/icons/homepage-title.png[/img] Source: [url]http://www.news.com.au/national/on-the-other-foot-peter-slippers-julia-gillards-problem-now/story-e6frfkvr-1226205707844[/url] [img]http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2011/11/24/1226205/192066-gillard-and-slipper.jpg[/img] Tony Abbott has told Prime Minister Julia Gillard (Left) new Speaker Peter Slipper (Right) is "her problem now". Picture: Kym Smith Source: The Daily Telegraph [release] • Opposition furious Slipper move gives Labor extra buffer • [url=http://www.news.com.au/national/slipper-faces-grilling-over-expenses/story-e6frfkvr-1226205487577]'Slippery Pete' faces grilling over his travel expenses[/url] • [url=http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hokey-pokie-over-speaker-may-shaft-problem-gamblers/]The Punch: Hokey-pokie over Speaker may shaft problem gamblers[/url] • [url=http://www.news.com.au/national/harry-jenkins-resigns-as-speaker/story-e6frfkvr-1226204378477]As it happened: Jenkins quits, Labor power boost[/url] [B]THE Government and the Opposition today are clashing over who "owns" Peter Slipper as the new Speaker faces savage attacks on his character.[/B] And former party colleagues of the man who yesterday defected from the Liberals to [url=http://www.news.com.au/national/harry-jenkins-resigns-as-speaker/story-e6frfkvr-1226204378477]take the Speaker's chair[/url] joined the attacks. There were comparisons between him and the man he succeeded, Labor's Harry Jenkins, who had an unblemished reputation. "I think a lot of people in the Labor Party today are saying, 'we have replaced Harry Jenkins with what?'" Opposition Leader Tony Abbott told the Nine network today. Meanwhile, Mr Jenkins last night dined with Labor colleagues for the first time in 12 months without fears he would be accused of bias. The Opposition is furious Mr Slipper has given the minority Government an extra buffer of votes in the House of Representatives and made it more likely Prime Minister Julia Gillard will go a full term until 2013. News reports are highlighting Mr Slipper's extensive use of parliamentary allowances and his [url=http://www.news.com.au/national/slipper-faces-grilling-over-expenses/story-e6frfkvr-1226205487577]substantial travel expenses[/url]. The Australian newspaper revived scuttlebutt of a film or video of Mr Slipper and another man. Nothing illegal was being done but the office of Prime Minister John Howard inquired into its existence, the newspaper said. Mr Slipper was parliamentary secretary to Mr Howard for 18 months to October, 2003 and to the Finance Minister from 1998 to 2004. Further allegations are expected with the Opposition determined to make the Government responsible for the actions of Mr Slipper when he was a Liberal. "Peter Slipper is Julia Gillard's man," said shadow treasurer Joe Hockey today. "Peter Slipper was sacked by John Howard from the ministry, the Liberal Party was in the process of removing him from the Liberal Party. "And Julia Gillard formed the view that he was a man of such fine character that he should be appointed ahead of every other Labor MP to hold the highest parliamentary office in Australia." A senior Labor figure acknowledged the attacks on Mr Slipper yesterday but said, "he didn't have ALP after his name". Tony Abbott said: "There's no doubt Peter Slipper has been a problem over the years, but he is now Julia Gillard's problem and she may well find that he is an interesting one. Labor moved to counter claims Mr Jenkins was forced out of the Speaker's chair to get the extra votes. Government Whip Joel Fitzgibbon this morning told of how he had dined with Mr Jenkins last night and was convinced he had volunteered to end his four years in the job because of difficulties in the final year of minority Government. "Harry for a long time aspired to be Speaker of the House of Representatives and was a very, very good Speaker," Mr Fitzgibbon told ABC radio. "But he had three years in the job as he had anticipated, but the last year of that job required him to walk away from the party he had been a member of for something like 40 years. "It required him to not participate in the Caucus. It denied him any opportunity to influence public policy debate. "Indeed it even denied him the opportunity to have dinner with his colleagues during the course of the week for fear of being accused of being too close to one particular party in Parliament. "That's not the job he took four years ago. It weighed very, very heavily on him. It was his decision, and his decision only."[/release]

Kick Gillard out of office!

[QUOTE=hegrec;33424804]Kick Gillard out of office![/QUOTE] Trade Gillard for Abbott? You've got to be joking.

Fuck both parties and leaders of the parties are shit.

Vote for the Sex Party. I do.

[QUOTE=MuTAnT;33425775]Trade Gillard for Abbott? You've got to be joking.[/QUOTE] Yeah, But hes the lesser evil of the two.

Abbott would be even worse than Howard. Greens for me..

Mr. Slipper is entirely the Liberals problem, they were in the process of kicking him out, already has he made life difficult for them

[QUOTE=Best4bond;33428666]Yeah, But hes the lesser evil of the two.[/QUOTE] Are you mentally retarded

[QUOTE=Best4bond;33428666]Yeah, But hes the lesser evil of the two.[/QUOTE] haha you're a fucking crazy scumbag if you think that like seriously did you used to vote for family first? Sex party here

Abbott's pretty much the entire reason my avatar is what it is.

[QUOTE=Jookia;33429272]Abbott's pretty much the entire reason my avatar is what it is.[/QUOTE] "moi names abbot mate" "FUCK the econononmy"

[QUOTE=Ypress;33428691]Abbott would be even worse than Howard. Greens for me..[/QUOTE] Implying Howard is bad? (besides work choices)

[QUOTE=Contag;33428731]haha you're a fucking crazy scumbag if you think that like seriously did you used to vote for family first? Sex party here[/QUOTE] I supported Kevin Rudd, But out of Julia and Tony, I have to support tony just because of the Kevin Rudd backstabbing... And dont even get me fucking started on those batshit insane greens.

everyone in australian politics looks like a bag of wrinkles

[QUOTE=Mon;33438431]everyone in australian politics looks like a bag of wrinkles[/QUOTE] This just in: Old people get into Politics. More at 11.

Australian politics is a fucking joke, really. Seriously they behave like teenagers, jeering and pulling faces or laughing mockingly while someone else is trying to speak, and these are supposed to be the people who run our country? Both major parties suck a fat one, and voting for smaller parties is, ultimately, pointless.

[QUOTE=JaegerMonster;33444803]Australian politics is a fucking joke, really. Seriously they behave like teenagers, jeering and pulling faces or laughing mockingly while someone else is trying to speak, and these are supposed to be the people who run our country? Both major parties suck a fat one, and voting for smaller parties is, ultimately, pointless.[/QUOTE] At least they don't use tear gas during question time yet

[QUOTE=Contag;33428731]haha you're a fucking crazy scumbag if you think that like seriously did you used to vote for family first? Sex party here[/QUOTE] i don't understand this internet conception that tony abbott is just obviously an astronomically poor choice for leadership. frankly, the gillard government has buggered up everything, i can't see how an abbott government is obviously a worse choice (polling suggests otherwise lol). i guess it's just internet hatred of his catholicism.