Parliament to focus on personalities

7 Oct 2012, 6:49 pm   -   Source: AAP

Labor and the coalition will fight about sexism, Peter Slipper, the HSU and Alan Jones before the 10th anniversary of the Bali bombings is commemorated.

RELATED

Personalities, not policies, will dominate debate when federal politicians return to Canberra this week.

Labor has said it won't let up on Tony Abbott and his so-called "women problems", while the opposition plans to up the ante over the government's support of stood-down Speaker Peter Slipper.

The coalition will also make much of the fact police last week laid 20 charges against former Health Services Union (HSU) boss Michael Williamson. He's a former ALP national president.

The opposition leader has already used Williamson's arrest to demand the prime minister stop relying on the vote of fellow ex-HSU official and now suspended Labor MP Craig Thomson.

Add to this volatile mix the continuing fall-out from broadcaster Alan Jones' comments that Julia Gillard's father "died of shame" over her lies - Macquarie Radio on Sunday temporarily suspend all advertising on the 2GB breakfast show - and there's no doubt things will get heated.

Senior Liberal George Brandis dialled the rhetoric to extreme before the working week started.

Asked about Mr Abbott's women issues on Sunday, he turned his sights on Ms Gillard's support for Mr Slipper, who's been accused of sexual harassment by ex-staffer James Ashby.

Some crude text messages allegedly sent by Mr Slipper prompted Senator Brandis to declare "female members of this government" were protecting "a vile misogynist".

During the previous sitting fortnight it was Labor backbencher Deb O'Neill using the term "misogynist", but she was hurling it in Mr Abbott's direction.

Indeed, the Liberal leader was under such pressure that last week his wife Margie went on a media blitz to insist: "Tony Abbott gets women and ... the women in Tony Abbott's life certainly get him."

Mr Abbott on Sunday said the PM was responsible for the "nasty" personal attacks.

But Attorney-General Nicola Roxon insists Labor won't stop criticising the opposition leader, who she maintains has an "issue with capable women".

However, she was prepared on Sunday to accept it was "a mistake" to allow Mr Slipper to quietly slip into the Federal Court in Sydney last week via a private car park.

While scandal might dominate the headlines, there will still, as always, be law-making in the background.

First up on Tuesday, the lower house will debate legislation to remove the floor price from Labor's planned emissions trading scheme and link it to the European market from mid-2015.

Also scheduled for debate is the Wheat Export Marketing Amendment Bill.

It has the potential to cause a split in the coalition, with WA Nationals MP Tony Crook already stating he'll vote with Labor in support of full deregulation. NSW Liberal Alby Shultz says he'll abstain.

The bill is likely to pass and the coalition could lose some skin in the process.

In the Senate, there'll be argument about a new national regulator for charities and not-for-profit organisations.

The opposition says it will just add red tape, and the Greens plan amendments.

After Question Time on Thursday, the prime minister and Mr Abbott will fly to Indonesia for the 10th anniversary of the first Bali bombings.

Whatever happens during the week, politics will be put aside as the event which killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, is commemorated on Friday.

  • Follow us: 
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube