All About

Peter Neil Slipper, born 14 February 1950, Australian politician, has served as the 27th Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives since 24 November 2011, after serving as Deputy Speaker following the 2010 election. Previously he had served as a Parliamentary Secretary, Whip and Committee Chairman in the Howard government.
Slipper is an independent member of the Australian House of Representatives representing the Division of Fisher, Queensland, a seat which he has held since 1993. He previously represented the same division for the Nationals from 1984 to 1987. Slipper was affiliated with the Liberal Party's Queensland division from 1993 until its merger with the Nationals' Queensland division to form the Liberal National Party of Queensland in 2008, though he continued to sit in the federal Liberal Party room. After his election as Speaker in 2011, he became an independent.


Attempt to disendorse as Liberal National Party (LNP) candidate
On 14 August 2010, just as the travel abuse allegations were gaining momentum, it was revealed in the Sunshine Coast Daily that a move had been made to attempt to disendorse Slipper in favour of former MP Mal Brough for his seat of Fisher at the next election. However this move was rejected due to an agreement between the Liberal and National parties about guaranteed endorsement for existing candidates. It is claimed that the Sunshine Coast Daily has led a "savage" campaign to remove Slipper from his seat since the 2007 election when the Coalition lost government.
On 28 September 2010, Slipper accepted Labor's nomination to serve as Deputy Speaker of the House of representatives and was elected to that position by 78 votes to 71, defeating the Coalition nominee, Bruce Scott of the National Party. In December 2010, Brough confirmed his intentions to seek preselection, by running against Slipper.
Concerned about the damage to the LNP's reputation in the electorate, in March 2011 a motion was moved at the party's Federal Divisional Council "that this Council notes the actions of the Member for Fisher in accepting nomination by the Labor Party for the position of Deputy Speaker and competing for this position in opposition to Mr Bruce Scott MP nominated for this position by the coalition parties and expresses its concern over the ongoing negative publicity directed at the Member for Fisher and the resulting damage to the Liberal National Party and requests the Applicant Review Committee to take note and take action as deemed appropriate." According to media reports, the matter was deferred without discussion to the party's state director.
In September 2011, Slipper raised concerns of alleged branch stacking by Brough, and there was growing pressure over how the LNP would determine preselection of candidates for the seat of Fisher, with Slipper threatening to resign from the party if not re-endorsed.


Speaker of the House of Representatives
In November 2011, Harry Jenkins, a member of the Australian Labor Party, unexpectedly resigned as 26th Speaker of the House of Representatives. Slipper was nominated unopposed and installed as Speaker on 24 November 2011. As a member of the opposition, Slipper's acceptance of Labor's nomination as Speaker was considered a "renegade" action and opposition leader Tony Abbott threatened to expel him from the Liberal caucus for his action. Slipper resigned from the Liberal National Party on taking the Speaker's seat and continues in parliament as an independent representative.
Upon his election as Speaker, Slipper moved to restore various traditions of the office of Speaker such as wearing elements of the traditional speaker's dress by not only wearing the gown but also the QC's bar jacket underneath his business attire. Slipper has also taken to wearing a white long tie or bow tie, in a variation from the lace jabot or bands. He also moved to reinstate the longer and more formal Speaker's procession into the House, involving the Serjeant-at-Arms and the Mace. Slipper soon established a no-nonsense reputation in the house, cutting short question time questions and responses and expelling members from the house without warning. Slipper then returned to wearing the wing collar with white bow tie and bands on the occasion of his first formal procession into parliament.
On 20 April 2012, Slipper was accused of sexually harassing a staffer. James Ashby claims that Slipper has sexually harassed him on a number of occasions, via mobile phone text messages and in private conversations. The Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, has called for Slipper to resign until Ashby's claims are investigated. The government has said it is a legal matter and will not be asking for Slipper's resignation.

Priest


Slipper is chancellor of the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC), having succeeded Michael Atkinson. In 2008, he was ordained as a priest of the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia which is a member church of the Traditional Anglican Communion and considered part of the international Continuing Anglican movement.