Coalition accused of bullying Crook

The coalition has been accused of photographing renegade National Tony Crook voting
in the parliament with the government in an attempt to bully the Western Australian
MP.
Mr Crook, who has chosen to sit on the crossbenches rather than with the coalition,
on Wednesday sided with the government in a division on legislation aimed at
reforming the health system.
He also sided with the government to defeat a move by the coalition to have the
parliament urgently debate the establishment of an immigration detention centre in
the Adelaide Hills.
Labor MPs claim that as he sat alongside Transport Minister Anthony Albanese during
the division vote, Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella could be seen using a mobile phone to
photograph Mr Crook.
Health Minister Nicola Roxon later accused the coalition of mounting a campaign
against Mr Crook, who defeated veteran Liberal MP Wilson Tuckey at the last
election.
Ms Mirabella denies taking a photograph, saying it would have been impossible from
where she was sitting in the House of Representatives chamber.
"It's impossible to take photos from that distance," she told AAP.
"Anything that happens in the chamber is on the public record. Why would anyone need
to do that?
"Anyone trying to take a photo of Albanese I'm sure would have their camera break,"
Ms Mirabella added.
The opposition innovation spokeswoman in turn accused the government of a beat-up in
an effort to win Mr Crook's support.
"It's just a false way for them to try and get Tony Crook to side with them.
"That's real bullying. For them to try and turn around and say somehow a public
event that's open to the world on the web, where there's a record of it, somehow we
were trying to use that in some way, is quite bizarre.
"If anyone wanted to take lessons in professional bullying and thuggery, you just
ask business out there how the Labor Party treats them," she told AAP.
But, Ms Roxon said, it was clear the coalition was trying to bully Mr Crook.
"Seeing the Liberals and Nationals trying to bully people doesn't, I wouldn't have
thought, further their cause ... yelling out and taking photographs of Tony Crook
sitting with us while he's voting."
Ms Roxon said the decision of Mr Crook and the five other crossbench MPs to support
the government's legislation showed they were prepared to consider legislation on
its merits.
The bill would give permanent status to a commission working to improve health
services and reduce healthcare costs.
"These are pretty important issues for their electorates. So I hope it shows that
they're prepared to judge it on its merits, something the Liberal Party has not been
doing," Ms Roxon said.