By JESSE GRAHAM
CHAOS erupted in the Victorian Parliament last week, as the push for Evelyn MP Christine Fyffe to become speaker flared up before being dismissed for the year.
On Tuesday 26 November, members in the lower house shouted over the top of each other during question time as part of a Labor push to challenge the position of current speaker, Ken Smith.
Monbulk MP James Merlino said the majority of Parliament, including Frankston MP Geoff Shaw, does not support the current speaker and that Labor would support Ms Fyffe to ascend from her position as deputy speaker.
“The opposition has made it clear that we would support, in his place, the election of the deputy speaker as the speaker of this parliament,” Mr Merlino said.
However, the push to change speakers was quashed for the year after Bendigo East MP Jacinta Allen and Mr Merlino, both Labor MPs, were suspended from Parliament for the next six sittings.
As a result, the members will not be able to take part in Parliamentary votes until February, with Liberal party commanding an absolute majority in the lower house.
A representative for Ms Fyffe said that, even if Mr Smith was challenged as the speaker, Ms Fyffe would not be guaranteed to replace him and that the matter would go to a vote.
The representative said that, as a result of the efforts to challenge the speaker, around 15 bills had been backlogged and MPs would be working to get them discussed and voted on as quickly as possible.
