February 10, 2020
Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien – who announced on Monday he would quit The Nationals party room in Canberra – has been elected Deputy Speaker in Federal Parliament.
The Coalition Government’s endorsed candidate for the role had been Victorian MP and Nationals Chief Whip Damian Drum.
Mr O’Brien, who remains a member of the LNP, was nominated by the Labor Party in a move widely seen as a cynical attempt to fuel the fire of dissent within The Nationals.
The vote was 75 votes to 67, meaning Nationals MPs joined with crossbench Members to elect Mr O’Brien.
According to the Parliament of Australia website, the office of Deputy Speaker is usually filled by the nominee of the government party or parties.
In the case of a Coalition Government, the usual practice has been for the Nationals to nominate the government’s candidate for Deputy Speaker and for the Liberal Party to nominate the candidate for Speaker.
Earlier on Monday:
