Yes, the attack dog Abbott has had the gall to claim that "he would never do this" try to cox anyone to "defect" to his party from the other side... So what has he been trying to do to the "independents"...? giving them a hug for being with Labor? And what has he done reneging on pairing absent (on official business) or sick MPs?... Pull the other leg Tonicchio, it rings... I laughed so much I fell off my chair...

The furore over the elevation of Liberal rogue turned independent MP Peter Slipper to Speaker of the House of Representatives continues to boil.

On Thursday the Opposition claimed Labor was trashing the Westminster system by appointing a non-Labor Speaker.

But the Government has taken a swipe at Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, saying he is acting hypocritically after allegedly offering the job to independent MP Rob Oakeshott.

Mr Slipper replaced Labor MP Harry Jenkins against the wishes of his former party, whose members have taken to dubbing him "a rat".

The move gives the Government a two-vote majority on the floor of the Lower House.

Leader of the House Anthony Albanese says Mr Abbott made an offer to Mr Oakeshott on Thursday morning.

"I noticed Tony Abbott saying this morning that he wouldn't have done something like this," Mr Albanese said.

"Well, Tony Abbott and his team spent all of yesterday morning trying to coax an independent, any independent would have done, to stand for the position of Speaker on the floor of the House of Representatives."

Liberal frontbencher Joe Hockey says that is not true.

"Tony Abbott didn't ring Rob Oakeshott yesterday asking him. Not at all," he said.

But Mr Oakeshott says otherwise.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-25/coalition-hypocrisy-on-slipper-debate/3696164

Yes, the attack dog Abbott has had the gall to claim that "he would never do this" try to cox anyone to "defect" to his party from the other side... So what has he been trying to do to the "independents"...? giving them a hug for being with Labor? And what has he done reneging on pairing absent (on official business) or sick MPs?... Pull the other leg Tonicchio, it rings... I laughed so much I fell off my chair... (repeat from what I wrote yesterday, before it became "official" Tonicchio had talked to Oakeshott)

Speaker deal spooks Labor MPs

Stephanie Peatling, Cosima Marriner

November 27, 2011
LABOR MPs are concerned the appointment of Peter Slipper to the Speaker's role could backfire if allegations of misuse of travel allowances continue to be made.

''Well, that's always a risk isn't it?'' one senior MP said.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh reserved judgment on the move.

''There are the decisions made in the federal Parliament; we will wait to see how it rolls out next year,'' Ms Bligh said. ''I have to say as a Queenslander I've never thought much of Peter's contribution here.''

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said voters would punish the government for its king hit last week in which the Speaker, Harry Jenkins, resigned from the job to go to the backbench. He was replaced by former Liberal and now independent MP Peter Slipper.

As Speaker, Mr Slipper does not have a vote, giving an extra number to the government. The move means the government is slightly less reliant on the cross benches to get its legislation through.

''The Australian people do not like the sort of kind of sordid, squalid, toxic deals that they saw in the Parliament this week,'' Mr Abbott told a meeting of the NSW Liberal Party State Council yesterday.

Senior Coalition strategists have conceded the wooing of Peter Slipper was a ''brilliant tactic''.

Frontbench MPs have told The Sun-Herald the Coalition had workshopped what the troublesome Queenslander might do but none had imagined the events of last Thursday.

''Our worst case scenario was him going to the cross bench,'' said one MP charged with the responsibility of keeping an eye on Mr Slipper.

''Harry Jenkins should get a VC,'' one Liberal frontbencher said.

Meanwhile there is anger within the federal Coalition that the Queensland Liberal National Party did not deal with the questions surrounding Mr Slipper years ago.

Former Howard government minister Mal Brough wanted to contest Mr Slipper's seat of Fisher in 2004 and 2007. But although Mr Brough was held in high regard by the then prime minister, John Howard would not give his blessing for a challenge because of his firm view that sitting members should not be challenged.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/speaker-deal-spooks-labor-mps-20111126-1o0ay.html#ixzz1eqfaBbjL

All that can happen is that Pete Slipper has to repay some "wrongly claimed" expenses... with the more money and perks he gets as the speaker of the house... for which he can do a good job... The Australian public would approve of this arrangement unless the rabid media led by the Murdoch press keeps on opinionating contrarily about something that is perfectly ligit — in order to support their chosen idiot son, Abbott...

And on top of that: "there was no deal"...

from Peter Fitzsimon...

SURELY I am not the only one who looks with a certain acid amusement on the outcry, which started on Thursday, by various media and commentators over the background of the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, Peter Slipper - particularly in regard to his use of taxpayers' money for his expenses and so on. I most certainly agree - some of those expenses do look decidedly odd and worthy of further investigation. But where were these same commentators last Wednesday, before his defection from the Libs? Surely if their outrage is genuinely to do with his expenses and not simply because his defection gives Labor a crucial majority of two, they would have started on him when the controversy became known and not just now. For what has changed? Oh. Oh, I see.

THE Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, has defended the Coalition turning a blind eye to the alleged indiscretions of Peter Slipper over many years, saying the party was in the process of pushing the Queenslander out of Parliament when Labor swooped.

Labor has struck back at recent attacks by the opposition that Mr Slipper, who quit the Liberals and replaced Harry Jenkins as Speaker, was a compromised character.

There are questions concerning Mr Slipper's personal behaviour and his use of parliamentary allowances, and Labor is anticipating the drip feeding of a Coalition dirt file on him in subsequent weeks.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kevin Rudd, said yesterday that if such indiscretions abounded, ''what have they sat on for such a long period of time,and why hasn't Mr Abbott brought all this forward?''

''He said on the record, within the last 12 months, that Mr Slipper has a complete clean bill of health on these questions,'' Mr Rudd said. ''Now is Mr Abbott saying to us that he has been dishonest in this period of time?''

Blah blah blah...

Peter Slipper's defection is actually Gillard's Christmas gift to the Coalition. By maintaining dignity in contrast to Labor's unscrupulousness, and adjusting quickly to its strategic consequences, Abbott can overcome the tactical setback and ensure that his overwhelming lead in the electorate does not change as have his numbers in the Parliament.

Terry Barnes was a senior adviser in the Howard government.