I fail to see why the text's that we seen were harassing Ashby.

579,

Maybe we should use small words.

There were hundreds of texts.
The papers did not print them all as they don't want to dedicate pages, and printed those that it deemed new and/or of interest,
This does not mean that there are not texts on lots of issues.

Politicians lie,if you find one that does not bottle him! he will be worth stacks on ebay.
The saddest thing about this thread, and views in general?
ABBOTT LIES MORE THAN GILLARD!
Yet for the good of this country both should go now.
Comments about Labors financial credentials, IGNORE THE WORLD Envies US.
We see extreme right wing comment from folk who do not understand or think they are extreme or right wing.
Left? I am the new left, greens are the real left, I beg for new Labor, it will come.
But not until a Conservative government, yet again, after winning becomes so bad they hand government back to Labor.
UNLESS LABOR DROPS THOSE WHO ARE ONLY SELF INTERESTED.
But non core promises will be chin deep in the first year of Conservative government.
Unless Turnbull takes that party back to Liberalism.
Then?
My party, its near death at the hands of self interest will pay for ten years plus for the knifing of Rudd.
OR UNLOAD GILLARD PRE ELECTION.

Bazz, we will have to stop meeting like this :)

You say:

>> I notice that Insiders this morning agreed with me that Slipper
should have been asked to resign before the opposition motion was put.
Then the whole nasty smozzle of Thursday would have been avoided. <<

I'm impressed with your elevation as the 'go-to-guy' for the Insiders. Seriously though;

What makes you think the Speaker wasn't asked to resign, either when the texts became known to the Attorney General, or after Ashby was cut loose, or anytime before Abbott put the motion?

Do you really think he would have said sure, no probs, easy-peasy?

No Bazz, he was going to hang-in for all it was worth - politics can be a dirty game.

I'll say it again:

Neither the Prime Minister (nor the Attorney General) could publicly support the 'removal' of the Speaker given the case is being determined by the Federal Court.

Otherwise it could be seen to be prejudicial and any subsequent judgement could be appealed.

The leader of the Opposition knew this but still sought the Speaker's sacking in full Parliament - notwithstanding its primacy.

The Government, some in the Opposition and particularly a couple of Independents, saw the conundrum.

The Speaker, following the defeat of the motion and after being privately approached by some Independents, did the right thing and resigned.

Of course he would hang on as long as possible, but whether he was
pressured or not if he had just resigned no one could make a case that
it was sub-judice.
He would have had the chance to resign rather than being publically pushed as he was.

Piorot,
The BER (Builders Early Retirement Fund) was a fiasco. Even the smh, age and the ABC were running stories about the over pricing and consultants getting most of the monies. Schools were getting buildings they did not want but could not get what was needed. In short a fiasco.

Then you could add all the other money wasting failures. Home insulation which was dumped, again because of incompedent management. The chinese and US economies did well out of it by supplying the bats.

Then you have computers for schools with only half supplied thus far, with extra cost for parents. Green loans scheme dumped, and Green start program also dumped. Fuel watch scrapped, as was grocery watch and cash for clunkers. Then what about the $900 give away. GP super clinics where only 11 were provided and indigenous housing where very few have been built on last report. There are more Labor stuff ups than these.

Yeah labor are great fiscal managers.

The truth is we were greatly shielded from the GFC because the Chinese were still buying our coal, iron ore and gas. Mining has been the backbone of our economy.

The only way to pay off the soon to be $200 billion loan will be by increasing taxes and cutting expenditure.