Nats angry as PM defies convention

The Age

By PHILLIP HUDSON

POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

CANBERRA

Tuesday 5 February 2002

National Party MPs fear their status in the Coalition is being downgraded after the Prime Minister's office issued an order that the junior partner would no longer be guaranteed the job of deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The change to a convention that has operated for 50 years is the second post-election blow to the Nationals, coming after their numbers in John Howard's ministry were cut from six to five, with Bruce Scott dumped as a minister.

National Party Leader John Anderson's office yesterday said as far as he was concerned, the Nationals would fill the position of deputy speaker.

The party is expected to nominate NSW backbencher Ian Causley.

But a memo sent to all Coalition MPs by Chief Government Whip Jim Lloyd said coalition members would be able to nominate for the positions of "both Speaker and deputy Speaker" and would be entitled to vote for both positions.

"I was asked by the Prime Minister's office to put out that memo," Mr Lloyd said.

It has been tradition that the Liberals vote for Speaker and the Nationals for the deputy. There is a suggestion the Nationals might boycott the vote, which is due to held in Canberra on Monday.

One exception was the 1998 decision to give the Speaker's job to National Party stalwart Ian Sinclair but the Nationals have consistently held the deputy's job for the past six years.

The Nationals lost three seats in the November election but one MP said they should not lose further status, reminding Mr Howard that the Liberals would not hold government without the support of the National Party.

National Party backbencher Paul Neville said he believed the long-standing convention should be preserved. Others said there was great concern about why the change had been made.

Senior government sources said the deputy Speaker position had not been taken away from the Nationals and they may still win the job, but conceded it was no longer an automatic right.

The dispute creates a new dynamic in the battle between four Liberals for the prestigious $167,000-a-year job of Speaker.

Queensland Liberal Alex Somlyay is the latest to declare he will stand in next week's ballot. Victorian David Hawker and Queenslander David Jull have also issued a challenge to Neil Andrew, who has held the position since 1998.

In a letter lobbying his colleagues for support, Mr Somlyay said he would enhance the standing of parliament in Australia and internationally.

Mr Howard has bolstered Mr Andrew's bid to be re-elected by confirming that he will be voting for him. Although Mr Howard is not actively promoting him, it may sway some undecided backbenchers.

Lobbying for one of the parliament's most ceremonial and highly paid jobs will intensify in the next few days as the four contenders conduct a frantic telephone campaign and personally visit some colleagues asking for their vote.