Photo by Australian Civil-Military Centre, Flickr.
The events of the past few days have not only thrown the spotlight onto the Labor leadership, but also have implications for the survival of a Labor Government if Kevin Rudd deposes Julia Gillard as Labor leader. But a legal expert from The Australian National University has questioned whether this would be constitutional. Professor Donald Rothwell of the ANU College of Law says the ALP holds 72 seats in the current parliament and governs with the support of the Greens and three Independents, giving it a majority of 76 on the floor of the House of Representatives. This is compared to 72 for the Liberal/National Coalition, which, with the support of Independent Bob Katter, gives it a nominal 73 votes. The Speaker, Peter Slipper, is also an Independent. "The constitutional question that would arise if Kevin Rudd was elected Labor leader is whether a Rudd Government could be presumed to have the same level of support,” Professor Rothwell said. "That appears doubtful as Tony Windsor has indicated that if Gillard is deposed as Labor leader then 'all bets are off'.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
