http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-24/slipper-installed-as-new-speaker/3691680?WT.svl=news0

It is the most radical shake-up of employment law for decades – but even the Business Secretary admits there is no evidence it will boost the economy. The controversial Downing Street plan to allow employers to fire three million workers "at will" was kept alive by Vince Cable yesterday, albeit with no ringing endorsement from the Liberal Democrat cabinet minister.

Mr Cable has watered down a proposal backed by David Cameron for all firms to be able to sack poorly performing staff without the risk of being taken to an employment tribunal. If that does go ahead after a review, it will only apply in small firms.

The plan was put forward by Adrian Beecroft, a Conservative Party donor, and championed by Steve Hilton, Mr Cameron's strategy adviser. But it ran into strong opposition from the Liberal Democrats, who regard it as a throwback to "Victorian values" and an idea based on grumbling from businessmen rather than any firm evidence.

The issue sparked an unlikely power struggle between the two Coalition parties in the run-up to next Tuesday's Autumn Statement by George Osborne.

Mr Cameron seized on it as a way of illustrating the Government was ready to take tough, unpopular decisions to secure growth. But Nick Clegg was unwilling to rush into a free-for-all which he feared would make workers feel even more insecure about their jobs, further depressing consumer confidence.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/a-new-return-to-victorian-values-6267115.html

----------------------

Remember that, a few weeks ago, Tonicchio went to a "conservative" conference in Pommyland... Did he take the blueprints of the Aussie WorkChoices there, as a gift from a mad rabid downunder ritewingnutter? Hum I wonder... Despite having killed, burnt, buried, cremated and murdered the beast with his left hand, there is still some life in the ugly "liberal" (conservative) spirit of Work Choices... Yep... the idea to boost the economy by sacking people in drove or by slashing their entitlements is still alive deep under the dirt...

Mr Slipper has been embroiled in a damaging brawl over pre-selection in his Queenland seat and is already viewed as a pariah by some colleagues for accepting the deputy speaker's job and giving the ALP some breathing room in the hung parliament.

He raised the ire of some of his Coalition colleagues when he hosted Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd in his Sunshine Coast electorate on Friday, at the same time former Prime Minister John Howard was hosting a state LNP function nearby.

Mr Slipper is being challenged by the former Howard government minister Mal Brough for pre-selection, which could be held before the end of the year. The executive of the Queensland Liberal National Party has acknowledged the serious nature of an internal party dispute in Mr Slipper's seat but stopped short of disciplinary action.

Mr Slipper has accused Mr Brough of branch-stacking in the electorate ahead of a pre-selection battle.

Hi Gus,

I dunno but what about the possibility of shipping Alan Joyce off to assist the Poms in burning their country to the ground?

Methinks his Quaint Arse experience would be invaluable!!

And maybe he could take Kyle Sandilands with him as his Medja Adviser? 

We live in hope ....

John.

Could not agree more... Sending the whole lot on a sinking leaky boat rather than first class would be the best — but if they had to be preciously choosey let's send them first class to the north pole with a parachute...

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 takes over as Speaker of the Lower House from Labor's Harry Jenkins, who stepped down from the position this 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.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-24/slipper-labelled-liberal-rat-over-speaker-stoush/3693148?WT.svl=news0

Yes, the LNP had premeditated to shaft Mr Slipper for a while to replace him with Mal Brough, but Slipper shafted the LNP before the LNP could shaft him first... This is totally unacceptable if you are a LNP supporter...

We don't need John Clarke and Brian Dawe anymore:

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2011/s3375849.htm

TONY JONES: Alright. You've made that point. You've made this point a number of times about the No-alition. It's a good line, but let's not repeat it too often. The question was ...

ANTHONY ALBANESE: I've only made it once tonight, Tony, to be fair.

TONY JONES: No, I've seen you make it on a number of occasions already during the course of the afternoon and so on.

But, look, let's leave that aside for the moment. The question was whether this gives you insurance in case Craig Thompson takes a tumble, because he does have ongoing issues?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well, these are all a nonsense, Tony, in terms of trying to talk up these issues. The fact is that this is a government - what we're focused on is getting our agenda through. We've been extraordinarily successful, Tony. 254 pieces of legislation, including just this week - including just this week, the mining tax.

TONY JONES: OK. I'm going to try and keep you - no, we're running out of time so I'm going to try and stick to the series of questions which I'm actually asking. The new Speaker, Peter Slipper, has his own ongoing issues. Have you dusted off the dirt file which the Labor Party was probably keeping to assure yourself that he can actually go the distance?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well, he's been the deputy speaker - I think he's been a good deputy speaker. He has an awareness of the standing orders and procedures before the House. He's someone who is interested in parliamentary processes. I think he'll be a very good speaker.

TONY JONES: Have you vetted him? That's my point. Have you vetted him against the issues which keep coming up which the Liberal Party inevitably knows a great deal about?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well he's been a creature of course of the Liberal Party, the National Party and the LNP for a long period of time. The fact is ...

TONY JONES: So have you vetted him against all these potential scandalous issues which may come up?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Tony, I'm the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. That's my job.

TONY JONES: Modern governments vet people who are taking sensitive positions, and I'm asking whether you've vetted him.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: What I've done - well, Tony, I'm the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, I'm the Leader of the House. I've done my job.

TONY JONES: Do you expect the Liberal Party to pull out a series of files on the new Speaker and try and use them against him? For example, one of his own Coalition colleagues, Alex Somlyay MP from a neighbouring electorate has been calling for an investigation into Peter Slipper's travel expenses in Canberra. He's got up a petition on that. Do you expect a backlash from the Coalition along those lines?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: With due respect, Tony, I can have no control over what the Coalition do. That is up to them. But what I do know is that he has been a long-term member of the Coalition. They endorsed him a number of times so I would expect, I would expect that if there was a problem with him, why did they endorse him just over a year ago?

TONY JONES: Anthony Albanese, we thank you very much for joining us. Time I think for you to go to Prime Minister's drinks.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Indeed, which is at The Lodge, even though Tony Abbott predicted that he'd be there this year, he of course isn't and today means he's further away than he was yesterday.

TONY JONES: Thanks for joining us.

----------------

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2011/s3361876.htm

The Sunshine Coast branch of Queensland's Liberal National Party (LNP) has moved quickly to erase 'Liberal rat' Federal MP Peter Slipper from its records.

Mr Slipper, the Member for Fisher, was labelled a "Liberal rat" after resigning from his party yesterday to take up the role of Speaker.

The move buttresses the minority Gillard Government against the threat of losing the support of independents.

Mr Slipper 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.

LNP Queensland director Michael O'Dwyer said in a statement yesterday the party had accepted Mr Slipper's resignation, describing his acceptance as Speaker as an act of "gross disloyalty".

"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," Mr O'Dwyer said.

In an email to LNP members on Sunshine Coast, regional chairman Greg Newton advised Mr Slipper and his wife are to be removed from invitations to party functions and meetings.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-25/qlds-lnp-erases-slipper-from-records/3693772

Senior Liberals are keeping up their fire on turncoat Speaker Peter Slipper, labelling him a "rat" and a "problem" within the party who was about to be sacked anyway.

Mr Slipper has attracted his fair share of adverse publicity over the years: he has had to pay back wrongly claimed expenses; was thrown out of a Canberra pub; was prevented from boarding an aircraft due to his behaviour; and, bizarrely, became trapped inside a parliamentary disabled toilet.

AUDIO: Will Slipper appointment backfire on Labor? (AM)
But yesterday he became Speaker when Labor's Harry Jenkins resigned, giving the government an extra vote in the minority government and ensuring it is not now "a heartbeat away" from defeat.

Mr Slipper had been under pressure in his Queensland seat of Fisher and was likely to lose pre-selection for the next election to former Howard Minister Mal Brough.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says Mr Slipper "is what he is" and was a "problem" for the Liberals.

"There's no doubt that Peter Slipper has been a problem over the years but he's now Julia Gillard's problem and I think she may well find that this is an interesting one," Mr Abbott told Channel Nine this morning.

"He'll now be on display in the Parliament every day at 2 o'clock. He is now Julia Gillard's Speaker.

"I think a lot of people in the Labor Party are saying today, 'We have replaced Harry Jenkins with what?'"

Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey said Mr Slipper, a former Parliamentary Secretary to John Howard,  was about to be sacked anyway.

"We have never nominated Peter Slipper for a position since John Howard sacked him as a parliamentary secretary some years ago," Mr Hockey told Channel Seven.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-25/slipper-under-attack-after-speaker-coup/3694246

From Barrie Cassidy

...

However, does that obvious political advantage justify such extraordinary action? It undoubtedly comes with considerable risk. Not only does the Government now own Peter Slipper and the baggage that comes with him, but they have undermined a key argument they have been making for months. That is, that the Parliament is operating perfectly well as it stands; that despite the inherent difficulties with a minority government it is nevertheless effective. If that is so, then why the need to breach a century of tradition and appoint a political opponent as speaker?

The Coalition will now attempt to build on Abbott's constant assertion that this is a government, and a parliament, in crisis.

In his first doorstop interview after the Speaker, Harry Jenkins, resigned, Tony Abbott said the Government had "lost its way, lost its majority and lost its speaker", He could have added, they have lost their moral compass as well.

What price government?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-25/cassidy-slipper-now-a-government-responsibility/3693766?WT.svl=theDrum

-------------------------------

Oh Barrie! Oh Barrie... No-no-no... the government has not lost its "moral compass"... Peter Slipper was a loose cannon in the Libshit Party... This does not mean he's going to be one in the Labor camp... He has not joined Labor... Full stop... Slipper is now an independent in the speaker's chair... Nothing else... He does not owe anything to Labor and Labor does not owe anything to Slipper... There is no marriage, no nuptials, no "relationship". Labor does not own Slipper... Slipper is his own man and most likely, with more responsibility, he will shape up good... That would really annoy the Liberals (conservatives)...

The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions says he cannot investigate information that Fair Work Australia has referred to him about the Health Services Union.

A Fair Work Australia inquiry found 181 breaches of rules and referred the matter to the Commonwealth prosecutor.

DPP Chris Craigie has released a statement saying Fair Work Australia's report was not a criminal investigation or a brief of evidence.

"The CDPP is not an investigation agency," he said.

"It does not have investigative powers and is not able to conduct a criminal investigation.

"In order for a matter to be assessed as to whether a prosecution should be commenced, a criminal investigation is conducted and a brief of evidence prepared and referred to the CDPP."

Mr Craigie said the letter he received from Fair Work made it clear that the industrial tribunal had not conducted a criminal investigation.

"The letter states that the report does not consider whether any person (or body) may have contravened a provision of the criminal law," he said.

"The material forwarded is not a brief of evidence.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-04/dpp-says-cannot-investigate-fair-work-report/3932868

News Limited says the court documents show the Howard government was aware of Mr Slipper's sexual relationship with another young male adviser - and other allegations of sexual harassment - as early as 2003.

News Limited is also reporting claims about Mr Slipper's alleged misuse of Cabcharge vouchers.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-21/slipper-denies-harassment-claims/3964192

-------------------------

Okay... let's be the devil's advocate. One can see several things here:

If that's the case, the Howard government was aware of Slipper's sexual harassment, why in hell did the Howard government not alert the authorities, nor thrown slipper out on his arse?... I ask you... That is a criminal offence by neglect...

The next point here is to establish the bona fide of all these allegations, as often organised misdemeanours are set ups to darken the soul of the troops so they "have to follow the line" when crucial votes are needed, otherwise their misdemeanours are exposed to the public. See, it's leverage of bonding from within a political party. Not new. Sexual stuff is usually the easiest thing to pin on people... I know of a party(ies) that in the 1980s "blackmailed" new members, via their superior MPs, by being enticed to having sex with underaged girls. The affairs being recorded in "dirt files"...

But with Peter Slipper, who knows... He would know how the game is played and anything that would be remotely smelly would be played against him at some stage. Slipper wanted the chair of speaker more than anything else. Is he really going to stuff things up knowingly his staffer would have been rumbling a bit? Next thing is — where did the staffer come from? How did Slipper come to get him to work for him?... Has the staffer any connection with Liberal and National organisation, overtly or covertly? Was the staffer going along with the charade, at first, in order to let Peter Slipper slip deeper into the sting if there was a sting?...

The devil will be in the details...

And could I suggest a further possible Machiavellian conspiracy? Say that when Peter Slipper was annointed as the speaker of the house, he was actually secretly placed there, by the "faceless men" Libs (conservatives) operators, while the front-men such as Abbott (Libs -conservatives) and others Libs (conservatives) would "howl in protest"... You're with me? So digging deep needs to be made, though no evidence would be found... of course. The smell of sulphur hangs over this...

....the Prime Minister sought to make several points.

If it was OK for Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to question her integrity and judgment for making Mr Slipper the Speaker when it was generally known that Mr Slipper had a pattern of questionable behaviour, why, Ms Gillard said, did the Coalition preselect him nine times?

"Mr Slipper was preselected as recently as the last federal election and was a candidate in that election under Mr Abbott's leadership," Ms Gillard said.

"In all of his negativity - before he gets too carried away - I think Mr Abbott might want to reflect on those facts."

Her other point was to distance herself from Mr Slipper's personal life and to claim his appointment was on merit.

"I don't claim to know Mr Slipper personally or well but I formed a professional judgment about his ability to do the job," she said, adding she was impressed with his performance as deputy speaker.

This is correct insofar as Mr Slipper is the best Speaker for years and years - he is impartial, brooks no nonsense, keeps question time moving and has cut back the time for questions and answers to reduce the waffle.

And then Ms Gillard grew more candid. Ultimately, recruiting Mr Slipper was all about numbers. That is, Labor could alienate Andrew Wilkie and his undeliverable poker machine demands and still be able to pass its legislation, such as means testing the private health insurance rebate.

"Having Mr Slipper be Speaker has enabled the government to do some important things on behalf of Australian families," she said.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/battle-for-slipper-peppers-pm-at-singapore-memorial-20120423-1xgk5.html#ixzz1srqSqE00

--------------------------

Meanwhile Rattus the second says:

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says complaints made to Howard government staff by the man accusing Peter Slipper of sexual harassment did not constitute a "formal" complaint.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-23/abbott-denies-coalition-received-formal-complaint-over-slipper/3967686?WT.svl=news0