The parliamentary speaker, Bronwyn Bishop, faced fresh complaints about her impartiality after she appeared to take a dig at two Labor frontbenchers over who was serving as the party’s key tactician.
Labor tried to move a motion of dissent, saying Bishop was not being impartial. It came hours after the speaker repeated a reference to the shadow education minister, Kate Ellis, as a puppet of the unions.
During a series of procedural motions over the government’s push to vote on changes to infrastructure laws, Bishop suggested Labor’s former leader of the house, Anthony Albanese, was acting in the role of manager of opposition business, even though Tony Burke has taken on the key tactical role under Bill Shorten’s leadership. Bishop then suggested Burke was raising a point of order “to resume his status”.
“The former leader of the house [Albanese], who is now apparently the acting manager of opposition business, has given the chair advice,” Bishop said on Tuesday night. “Both the manager of opposition business [Burke] and the leader of the house [Christopher Pyne] will resume their seats. If the manager opposition business is raising a point of order to resume his status, then it is acknowledged.”
Burke demanded she withdraw the comment if she wished to be seen as impartial. After Bishop ruled she would permit no further points of order, Burke moved a motion of dissent in the speaker’s ruling. He said the speaker must not engage in debate or “a half-funny, childish interjection” that would be acceptable if she were merely the MP for Mackellar.
“But you need to recognise, Madam Speaker, that you are meant to be impartial. You need to recognise, Madam Speaker, that the office you hold is greater and more important than your own political rhetoric,” Burke said.
The leader of government business, Christopher Pyne, demanded an end to the “farce” and used the government’s numbers to stop Burke from continuing to speak. Albanese began to explain how a high degree of impartiality was “one of the hallmarks of good speakership” but Pyne again used the government’s majority to gag the the Labor MP.
Albanese questioned “whether there is any precedent for a shutting down of a dissent debate in the speaker of the House of Representatives since 1901, ever”.
The government moved to gag debate and bring on votes to pass the Infrastructure Australia amendment bill. Pyne said the government simply wanted to get on with the business of the parliament.
“What we are witnessing tonight is one of the most petulant and juvenile displays I have ever seen in this house from government change deniers,” Pyne said.
The bill – to amend laws surrounding the Labor-established Infrastructure Australia advisory body – passed about 11.10pm. The government argued the bill would ensure the organisation’s independence but the opposition suggested it would bring back the link between politics and infrastructure delivery.
Earlier, in question time, the assistant minister for education, Sussan Ley, accused Ellis of being a “puppet of the union movement” over her handling of a $300m fund to boost some childcare sector workers’ wages. Burke demanded the reflection be withdrawn, prompting Bishop to repeat the comment.
“If you are thinking that the term 'puppet of the union movement' is a reflection on the member, then that is a matter that you have decided. However, to assist the house, I would ask the minister to withdraw,” Bishop said. Burke said the speaker should not have repeated the description, but Bishop said: “I would remind the manager of opposition business that if I wish to repeat the words I will do so.”
