Abbott Government Sinks to Five-Month Low After Expenses Scandal

The recent setback to the Adani Carmichael coal project was also taken up by opposition leader Bill Shorten who called for proper process to be followed.

He said the election of Mr Smith as Speaker was an opportunity for all MPs to reflect on their behaviour and how the lower house chamber operated.

In distinguishing himself from his predecessor, who resigned over an expenses scandal, Mr Smith pledged not to attend regular party room meetings and promised to meet with cross-party leadership and the crossbench to smooth the operation of the parliament.

Mrs Bishop was criticised for being too partisan.

Chief whip Scott Buchholz said Mr Smith had won in an “exhaustive ballot” but he bungled the official announcement by incorrectly naming one of the contenders.

The Australian parliament has elected Victorian Liberal backbencher Tony smith as the new Speaker for the House of Representatives following Bronwyn Bishop’s resignation.

In his first words from the Speaker’s chair Mr Smith said he would give a fair go to everyone.

Mr Smith was one of four nominees for the position, including Russell Broadbent, Andrew Southcott and Ross Vasta.

There’s a major factor in Tony Smith’s upbringing that makes him the “perfect” choice as federal speaker, says Tom Elliott. Veteran Sydney MP Philip Ruddock did not contest.

“While it’s absolutely true that we want the highest environmental standards to apply to projects in Australia, and while it’s absolutely true that people have a right to go to court, this is a $21 billion investment, it will create 10,000 jobs in Queensland and elsewhere in our country”, Abbott said while talking to media on Friday.

Sky News reports that the Labor Party will not put up a candidate to oppose Smith.

Even though the mining pundits are convinced that India’s Adani Group is all set to quit Australia because of a chain of delays, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has come out openly to support the proposed mega coal mine project owned by Gautam Adani-led Indian conglomerate.

“In the course of your 15-year parliamentary career you have met with some disappointments,” he said.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said that “for all our clashes with the former speaker, we wish her well”.

“She has been a warrior for the causes that she believe in”.

Responding to the new ruling, Adani, which recently suspended work in a number of areas on the mine as it awaits government approvals, attributed the ruling to a “technical legal error” and said it was confident the matter would be rectified.

Governments must be held to account and, to that end, they must be required to answer the questions that are asked of them in Parliament, not to engage in negative rants or drift into fatuous and irrelevant propaganda.

“But it needn’t be rude and it needn’t be loud”, Smith said, after assuming the chair.