Fitzgibbon must go, says opposition

28 May 2012, 11:06 am   -   Source: AAP
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Joel Fitzgibbon. (AAP)

Joel Fitzgibbon. (AAP)

Opposition MPs say government whip Joel Fitzgibbon should be stood down for reportedly counting numbers for Kevin Rudd.

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The opposition is demanding the head of chief government whip Joel Fitzgibbon amid renewed Labor leadership tensions.

As government MPs remained tight-lipped about the reports that Mr Fitzgibbon was counting the numbers for former leader Kevin Rudd, the opposition was baying for blood.

"The government is falling apart at the seams," senior Liberal Christopher Pyne told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

"It is untenable for Joel Fitzgibbon to remain as the chief government whip and not be a 100 per cent rolled gold supporter of the prime minister."

Another senior Liberal, Scott Morrison, said Mr Fitzgibbon should have been dumped as chief whip when the reports first emerged.

Government MPs Mark Dreyfus and Andrew Leigh were reluctant to discuss the leadership speculation when they arrived at Parliament House.

They repeated Ms Gillard's brief comments on Sunday that Mr Fitzgibbon had made his support for the prime minister clear on Twitter.

Federal cabinet reportedly is divided over the integrity of the prime minister, with senior ministers disputing her claim she did not know until the last minute about a deal to allow Gina Rinehart to import 1700 workers to help build a massive iron ore project in Western Australia.

Ministers Martin Ferguson and Chris Bowen have told colleagues they had been hung out to dry by Ms Gillard as she distanced herself from the policy in a bid to placate the unions who support her, Fairfax said on Monday.

The ministers' backers say Mr Bowen had informed Ms Gillard's office almost two weeks ago that Ms Rinehart would be the first to be granted an enterprise migration agreement.

This would enable her company Hancock Prospecting to import 1715 workers to help build the $9.5 billion Roy Hill iron ore project in the Pilbara.

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Your Comments

desperate

mark - from moonta, 1 year

The libs are getting desperate only one month to go before the e.t.s.the sky wont fall in and abbott will be finished after lying to the public for so long.his hole pathetic strategy was based on labor collapsing before the e.t.s he lost could it be the beginning of the libs in the wilderness for a decade.The vics are realising they made a mistake voting for the libs as is n.s.w public in s.a. we still have labor the public here know the libs are useless.Kick ---- Julia

Twitter

Sam - from Bexley, 1 year

Mr Fitzgibbon had made his support for the prime minister clear on Twitter, must be true then?

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