Fed: PM opens door to ALP parlt changes ahead of Speaker
By Shane Wright
CANBERRA, Feb 10 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard today opened the door to Labor proposalsto revamp parliament while his government prepared to vote in a new Speaker.
Mr Howard said he was prepared to consider procedural changes, but nothing radical,if they improved the running and standard of the House of Representatives.
He made the comments ahead of tomorrow's meeting of government MPs that will selectthe Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions.
Incumbent Neil Andrew is up against backbenchers David Jull and David Hawker for theposition that comes with a large office and a $95,000 base wage with a 75 per cent bonus.
Mr Andrew is favoured to retain the position, despite reservations among some governmentMPs he has been too lenient.
There is also a battle for the position of Deputy Speaker, a post that in a coalitiongovernment traditionally goes to the National Party.
The Nationals want NSW MP Ian Causley to take the job, but the Liberal Party has beengiven the green light by Mr Howard to challenge for the position.
Mr Howard, who today backed Mr Andrew to keep his job, said he would direct the managerof government business, Tony Abbott, to talk to Labor counterpart Wayne Swan about someof Opposition Leader Simon Crean's proposals.
"If Simon Crean is serious when he says he wants more debate and less argy-bargy, thenI'm prepared to go realistically half-way on that," he told Channel Nine.
Labor's proposals range from rotating the speaker position between the parties everytwo terms, no matter who holds power.
The speaker would also have had more power to enforce relevant answers in questiontime, an issue that is often behind some of the more vitriolic outbursts between the governmentand opposition.
While open to some change, Mr Howard said he was not prepared for radical proposals.
"There are some changes that could be made and I don't reject out-of-hand what theopposition has put forward," Mr Howard told Channel Nine today.
"The rotating Speaker thing is a bit different.
"In Britain, what happens is you are there for so long as you want to and then youcease to be the Speaker. The convention is you resign from the House of Commons. Also,you are not opposed at elections.
"I couldn't find that particular element in the proposals that Labor put forward."
Mr Howard re-affirmed he would consider his position as PM in two years.
Mr Crean admitted he would prefer to face Treasurer Peter Costello than Mr Howard inthe parliament.
"I think the problem with Costello is a bit like the baggage that I've got," he toldABC television.
"He's not a liked figure out there for all sorts of reasons ... has he got enough timeto remake himself? - time will tell."
Parliament will formally sit on Tuesday.
AAP sw/cjh/br
KEYWORD: SPEAKER NIGHTLEAD
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