Libs reneging on reform deal: Gillard

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says the opposition is reneging on a parliamentary
reform deal as it tries to undermine independent MP Rob Oakeshott's push to become
Speaker in the lower house.
Mr Oakeshott - who last week backed Labor to form minority government - on Wednesday
announced he'd accept the job if nominated.
But that call was made on the understanding a reform deal agreed to by all parties
meant he wouldn't lose his vote as it would be "paired" with an opposing member.
Now, the opposition says Mr Oakeshott's reading of the agreement is muddle-headed.
Christopher Pyne, the manager of opposition business in the lower house, argues
pairing can only apply to the deputy speaker and others temporarily occupying the
chair, "all of whom have a deliberative vote".
"There is no other possible reading of the agreement if you read it in conjunction
with the constitution of the country," Mr Pyne told ABC Radio.
"I can't help it if other members of parliament are confused and don't understand
their constitution and the standing orders and the way parliament has been arranged
for 110 years."
The reform package was agreed to before Mr Oakeshott, Tony Windsor and Bob Katter
revealed which side of politics they'd be supporting.
The new pairing arrangements are crucial because numbers in the parliament are so
tight - 76 votes for Labor and 74 for the coalition.
Ms Gillard on Thursday suggested Mr Pyne was a sore loser.
"I note that Mr Pyne was interviewed this morning and in that Mr Pyne appeared to be
saying that despite discussions leading to the agreement on changed standing orders
it wasn't the intention of the opposition to honour the agreement about providing
the speaker with a pair," Ms Gillard said.
The prime minister added that there were some practical and legal matters to be
resolved before the government agreed to support Mr Oakeshott's candidacy.
"(But) I'm very happy to say that I think Mr Oakeshott, obviously, has the skills
and attributes necessary," she told reporters in Canberra.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott wants the current speaker - Labor's Harry Jenkins - to
continue in the role.
"The simplest thing would be for the incumbent speaker to continue in the role but,
hopefully, to continue in the role in a much less partisan way than has
traditionally been the case," the Liberal leader told the Macquarie Radio Network.
He also suggested Mr Oakeshott wanted the role to avoid having to deliberate on
every piece of legislation.
"I suspect that one of the attractions of the speakership for an independent is that
it stops the independent from needing to consider every bit of legislation on its
merits because it's not common for votes to be tied and the speaker to then have to
make a casting vote."
Mr Oakeshott's spokeswoman told AAP that the member for Lyne was still happy to be
nominated for the speaker's role despite Thursday's revelations.
She said if someone else was also nominated and it went to a secret ballot, Mr
Oakeshott "would be happy with whatever the outcome".