Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull yesterday said that he “read the riot act” to lawmakers who caused the government to lose votes in parliament by sneaking out early.
The government lost three votes in the Australian House of Representatives late on Thursday because the absence of several government lawmakers gave the opposition Labor Party a majority.
It was a humiliating blow to Turnbull’s promise of a stable government in the first week parliament has met since a July election left his conservative coalition with a single-seat majority.
Photo: Reuters
Turnbull said it was a wake-up call to the lawmakers, including three ministers who left Parliament House early on the final sitting day of the week.
“They know they did the wrong thing. I read the riot act to them, their colleagues will all read the riot act to them,” Turnbull told Melbourne Radio 3AW.
Parliament ends its week at 5pm on a Thursday, and the adjournment motion is usually a formality that does not require a vote. However, Labor took advantage of the government lawmakers leaving early by defeating the motion and forcing the chamber to continue the session.
Labor then won three votes on procedural matters, which did not affect government legislation.
Turnbull said Labor’s temporary control of the House of Representatives before the absent government lawmakers frantically returned did not mean his government would not be able to survive for its full three-year term.
“There’s no doubt last night was embarrassing, there’s no doubt it was a wake-up call. In fact, in some respects it’s good to have got it in the first week,” Turnbull said.
“I’m very disappointed that members [of parliament] left when they shouldn’t have left, but it will not happen again,” he said.
Australian Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten said Turnbull was leading the first majority government to lose a vote in the House of Representatives in 52 years.
“Mr Turnbull lost complete control of the parliament,” Shorten said. “Turnbull has no authority over his party.”
Lawmakers who need to leave parliament early are expected to tell their parties. Their parties then ask their opponents for a “pair” — a lawmaker who agrees to abstain from voting and cancels out the absent lawmaker.
The absent lawmakers have apologized for leaving early without permission.
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