Somlyay pulls out of Deputy Speaker deal

Liberal MP Alex Somlyay walked away from a government offer to be Deputy Speaker
because Labor made the appointment overtly political, a close colleague says.
Fellow Queensland MP Warren Entsch, who replaced Mr Somlyay as opposition whip, says
he believes Labor "jammed" and "verballed" Mr Somlyay into a position where he felt
compromised.
Leader of the House Anthony Albanese on Friday told reporters Mr Abbott was
"determined to be a wrecker" of parliamentary reform, and the discussions with Mr
Somlyay were based around the fact he didn't support that approach.
Mr Entsch said Mr Albanese's approach likely ruined the deal.
"That impacted on his credibility with his colleagues and friends," he said.
After separate contradictory statements on Friday on whether he had agreed to the
offer, Mr Somlyay issued a third statement on Saturday.
He said he had wanted to help implement parliamentary reform but no longer wanted
the Deputy Speaker role.
"Now that the vote of Deputy Speaker has become the focus of attention, I am no
longer interested in the position," the statement said.
"It was never my intention to act in a way contrary to my membership of the Liberal
National Party and I never have."
The government was apparently confident it had an agreement that would allow him to
be paired with Harry Jenkins, who would renominate for Speaker.
Mr Somlyay reportedly called Friday's conflicting messages a "mix-up" and claimed
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's senior media adviser had authored the first
statement, which rejected the offer, but agreed to offer support to the government
in terms of confidence and supply.
Meanwhile, furious coalition figures were set to demand Mr Somlyay, who was recently
replaced as whip by Mr Entsch, explain himself at a meeting on Monday.
Mr Somlyay could not be contacted on Saturday.
But Mr Entsch, who described Mr Somlyay as a "close friend and colleague", said he
had been open about his interest in the Deputy Speaker's role for some time and
didn't deserve any retribution.
"I suspect there will be some in there who have believed a seven-second grab and
haven't bothered to pick up the phone," he told AAP.
"I will be setting them straight."
Mr Albanese on Saturday blamed Mr Abbott for the uncertainty.
"We've seen the return of the real Tony Abbott," he said in a statement.
"The politician that's prepared to renege on agreements, say anything, no matter how
false or malicious, and even intimidate members of his own party who disagree with
him."
Meanwhile, Mr Entsch has been angered by Human Services Minister Tanya Plibersek's
claims that while she is able to take leave of parliament to give birth next month,
she is "anxious" it could become difficult for women MPs in future.
The opposition plans to be tougher on a pairing convention that allows ministers to
be absent from parliament without the government losing a vote.
Mr Entsch claims he explained his criteria to the minister on Wednesday, and told
her, "of course it's automatic" for an MP giving birth.
"She is using her pregnancy to drive a political point and that's disappointing,
because there was never a question about whether she could take leave or not," he
said.
The government will hold a one-vote margin when parliament resumes sitting on Tuesday.