Labor’s uncomfortable Slipper affair
Dr Zareh Ghazarian
By Zareh Ghazarian
Just as Prime Minister Gillard thought she could focus on the upcoming budget, fraud and sexual harassment allegations levelled at the Speaker of the House of Representatives have again put her government to be on the back foot.
It was only five months ago that the Government was buoyed by the decision of Peter Slipper to defect from the Coalition and be the new Speaker. This gave the Labor government another vote in the House and made passing bills that bit easier.
Mr Slipper was regarded as being somewhat of a controversial figure after having made unusual travel claims as a parliamentarian. In his short period as Speaker, Mr Slipper caused further controversy especially when he reintroduced the tradition of wearing the Speaker’s formal gown.
The impact of the current allegations about Mr Slipper is heightened, as the government now finds itself in the same position it held just after the election. Indeed, it is now just one vote away from losing office as Mr Slipper will be absent from parliament while the allegations are investigated.
Mr Slipper’s absence means that Labor’s Anna Burke will be Acting Speaker. Ms Burke, who holds the Victorian seat of Chisholm, has been the Deputy Speaker since 2008. But she has also been an outspoken critic of the Labor government. In 2010, for example, she opposed her party’s proposed Malaysia solution for asylum seekers. As Speaker, Ms Burke will hold the deciding vote in the House and it is expected she will consistently support Labor.
There are no signs however, that the government will fall as it still has the support of key independents in parliament.
A problem for the Government, and Gillard, is that this episode provides further ammunition for the Opposition. The Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, has continually attacked the government on the question of ‘trust’ and has sought to highlight perceived failures of the Government. The Opposition Leader will weave this episode into the broader debate about the ‘trustworthiness’ and decision-making abilities of the Gillard Government.
The government can ill afford to lose further support among voters. Recent opinion polls have shown that Labor’s support is dwindling and that the party faces a landside loss. Labor hoped that it could use the lead-up to the budget to rebuild support and give itself a better chance of turning around opinion polls. The Slipper affair, however, puts the negative spotlight back on Labor and makes the job of governing even harder for Prime Minister Gillard.
Dr Zareh Ghazarian is a lecturer within the School of Political and Social Inquiry at Monash University.