Asia-Pacific News
Australian Parliament rocked by speaker's shock exit
Nov 23, 2011, 23:39 GMT
Sydney - Parliamentary democracy in Australia faced turbulent times Thursday after the shock resignation of House of Representatives Speaker Harry Jenkins.
Jenkins, a member of parliament for Prime Minister Julia Gillard's Labor Party, was replaced by his deputy, opposition member Peter Slipper.
Jenkins said he was departing to 'to participate in policy and parliamentary debate, and this would be incompatible with continuing in the role of speaker.'
After a dead-heat general election in August 2010, Gillard won government by gaining the support of three independents and the lone Greens member.
'A remarkable thing has happened in the Parliament this morning,' Gillard said, clearly taken by surprise by the announcement.
Opposition Liberal Party leader Tony Abbott said 'something extraordinary is happening inside the Labor Party at the moment, for the speaker to resign his office to go back into those debates.'
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