Australian parliament elects new speaker after scandal

VICTORIAN Liberal MP Tony Smith has been voted in as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives.

It came down to a vote between himself and Russell Broadbent.

In the final ballot, between Mr Smith and Mr Southcott, Mr Smith won 51 votes to 22.

Smith, the MP for Casey since 2001, pledged to stop attending regular party room meetings – a gesture of independence that the Labor party and some within the government had suggested as a way to draw a line under Bishop’s partisanship. This was reportedly strongly received and agreed upon by attendees.

One of the lessons Tony Abbott has been slow to learn is that the government is held responsible for a wide array of things, including the fine functioning of the House and the Senate.

He was dragged to the chair by his colleagues, greeted by Christopher Pyne along the way.

Tony Smith is just the 30th Speaker in the 114 years of Australia’s parliament.

Abbott also acknowledged Bishop’s time as Speaker saying that despite her “admitted” errors in judgement she was a “warrior” for the causes she believed in.

“We welcome the Speakers commitments not to attend party room meetings”, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said. Not only did Bishop succeed in making herself a target – it is hard to imagine choppergate would have developed the steam it did had Labor not hated her so – but parliament became, too often, a site of chaos, as the Opposition did everything it could to demonstrate its frustration.

The house resumed at 10am to elect the new Speaker as its first item of business after the winter parliamentary recess.

He acknowledged that there would be a mutual obligation between officers and members of the parliament, and that he would give “a fair go to all but in return I expect a level of discourse”.

“Already the Adani group has invested about $3 billion in Australia in preparation for this further investment”, Tony Abbott said.

“Half this mess we’re in with Adani is because the government rushed its approvals and then it got tripped up in the court system”, Bill Shorten said in a statement.

“I have many friends in this chamber…”

“There is no greater honour in parliament than being elected by ones peers,” he said.

He thanked his wife Pam, his mother and two sons Thomas and Angus, adding they’ve found the last week “interesting”.

“I want to thank the prime minister for his friendship and confidence”.

“It’s my view that the speaker should not only be, but also should be seen to be independent of the partisan, day-to-day foray”, Smith told Parliament.

Mr Smith is the fifth Speaker since November 2011, when Harry Jenkins was forced out to make way for Peter Slipper so the Gillard government could by a precious extra number n the hung Parliament. Resigned in August 2015 amid a travel expenses scandal following revelations she had charged taxpayers more than $5200 to charter a helicopter to fly her from Melbourne to Geelong for a Liberal Party fundraiser.