Labor, coalition settle on reform

Parliament will have an independent speaker and question time will be overhauled
under changes agreed by Labor and the coalition.
The three country independents - Rob Oakeshott, Bob Katter and Tony Windsor - have
been in talks on Monday with Labor and the coalition on parliamentary reform.
Speaking to reporters in Canberra on Monday afternoon, Mr Oakeshott said an
agreement had been reached on the reforms, which focused on the relationship between
the executive and parliament and improving the role of MPs.
"The Australian political system up until now has been overly dominated by the
executive and the parliament has played a secondary role to the executive, the
ministry and, in the last parliament, the gang of four," Mr Oakeshott said.
"This is going to change."
Mr Oakeshott said individual MPs would have a greater role and the committee process
expanded to ensure greater checks on legislation.
Question time would also be shortened, he said.
"I think we've done some good work," he said.
He said party "elders" and former speakers had been involved in the talks.
The government's leader in the House of Representatives, Anthony Albanese, said
there was goodwill to make the parliamentary reforms proceed.
"You need goodwill for reform to be progressed across the parliament; I think that
goodwill is there," he said.
Mr Albanese said there would be a sitting by the end of 2010, with a review
mechanism to see how the reforms would work.
Power would be transferred from the executive of government to the parliament's 150
lower house members, he added.
Mr Windsor said recreating the importance of local members was at the very basis of
the reforms.
All members of parliament should be treated with "some degree of respect" by
introducing private member's bills.
"This is a great moment in my view," Mr Windsor said.
And there would be more great moments in the coming days with the independents to
reveal who they will back.
Mr Oakeshott joked "after the press conference we'll be having a group hug".
Mr Albanese said Mondays during parliamentary sitting weeks would include sessions
for private member's business.
"I'd be confident, regardless of whether Labor has a majority in the future or the
coalition, that this will be a permanent reform to the culture of the parliament,"
he said.
Parliamentary reform has had a "difficult birth", manager of opposition business
Christopher Pyne said.
"It's been a difficult birth because since 1941 there has not been a hung
parliament, so whether the Labor Party has been in office or whether the coalition
has been in office, the appetite for reform of the parliament wasn't present," Mr
Pyne said.
He said the current state of the parliament gave a unique opportunity to bring about
real parliamentary reform with both sides having to give due to the independents who
have control of the cross benches.
"The coalition is delighted about that," he said.
He said during the Howard government there should have been reform, but he said both
he and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott have always wanted to make sure that there is
an independent speaker.
"We wanted to make sure that committees are beefed up and given more responsibility,
that private member's business was given the prominence that it deserves," he said.
"We should have always had time limits on questions and answers, we now have those."
Mr Oakeshott said the two major parties would be compelled to agree on who is the
new speaker.
Whoever was the speaker would be "paired" with another MP, so the numbers on the
floor of parliament were not skewed.
"What we've now got is a speaker removing themselves from the party room and giving
the office a sense of independence," Mr Oakeshott said.
He said the reform of the speaker's position was essential before any decision could
be made on who to support in government.
Asked when the independents would decide who to back, Mr Oakeshott said: "It will be
soon ... we wanted to nail this one first."
Mr Windsor said recreating the importance of local members was at the very basis of
the reforms.
All members of parliament should be treated with "some degree of respect" by
introducing private member's bills.
"This is a great moment in my view," Mr Windsor said.
And there would be more great moments in the coming days with the independents to
reveal who they will back.
Mr Albanese joked "after the press conference we'll be having a group hug".



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