A slippery option
When the LNP (Liberal National Party, Queensland) looked like it might dump Peter Slipper as an MP, the Gillard Government decided there was an opportunity to improve its precarious House of Representatives numbers and make the disgruntled MP Speaker.
How is that working out for them? Not so good, with sexual allegations on top of a previous history of rorting his expenses.
Given already out there fun and games with Craig Thomson MP, and relying on the votes of country independents, this is not good for the Gillard Government, already doing very badly in the opinion polls, even by mid-term standards.
Peter Slipper's endorsement was under threat by Mal Brough: for a sitting member in the Liberal or National (or Liberal National) Party to be under threat is unusual. That there is little doubt that replacing Slipper with Brough would improve the quality of the House of Representatives is not enough on its own to explain Slipper's endorsement being under threat. An existing history of unfortunate personal allegations explains it rather better.
I suspect the ALP misread what the doubt over Slipper's endorsement meant. In the ALP, it would be just faction fighting and a shift in factional strength. The Liberal-National Party Coalition does not work like that. It is a bad sign if a sitting Member's endorsement is in doubt: that usually says not good things about said Member.
Well, he is not the Coalition's problem any more, the ALP now "own" him. Such fun for them.
How is that working out for them? Not so good, with sexual allegations on top of a previous history of rorting his expenses.
Given already out there fun and games with Craig Thomson MP, and relying on the votes of country independents, this is not good for the Gillard Government, already doing very badly in the opinion polls, even by mid-term standards.
Peter Slipper's endorsement was under threat by Mal Brough: for a sitting member in the Liberal or National (or Liberal National) Party to be under threat is unusual. That there is little doubt that replacing Slipper with Brough would improve the quality of the House of Representatives is not enough on its own to explain Slipper's endorsement being under threat. An existing history of unfortunate personal allegations explains it rather better.
I suspect the ALP misread what the doubt over Slipper's endorsement meant. In the ALP, it would be just faction fighting and a shift in factional strength. The Liberal-National Party Coalition does not work like that. It is a bad sign if a sitting Member's endorsement is in doubt: that usually says not good things about said Member.
Well, he is not the Coalition's problem any more, the ALP now "own" him. Such fun for them.