Ban on spice faces little opposition in Greenwood

A week after Greenwood joined a growing list of Indiana communities in banning the sale of "spice," or synthetic marijuana, the prohibition appears to be accepted.

Greenwood Police Sgt. Tim McLaughlin, also a City Council member, introduced the measure that was approved 7-0 on Sept. 8. He said this week that he has heard from a few parents but little rumbling from merchants.

The council fast-tracked the measure, suspending the rules after it was introduced that night to whip it through first and second readings. It took effect the next day, Sept. 9, but officials also expected to allow a little time to get the word get out before cracking down on merchants.

Penalties for violation of the new ordinance are staggered, said City Attorney Shawna Koons.

A first violation carries a $50 fine; the second, a $150 fine; and the third, a $300 fine. Fines for fourth and subsequent violations are $1,000, she said.

Spice is sold under various names, including K2, Pep and Kind. It typically is marketed as incense, with a label saying that it is not intended for human consumption, and it retails for about $20 a pack, which allows for about four "highs."

Unlike marijuana, the use and possession of spice-like products is not yet illegal in Indiana, although a measure to prohibit it is likely to be introduced in the next session of the Indiana General Assembly.

The Boone County Commissioners recently approved a ban on the sale of spice and the Lawrence City Council and the Indianapolis City-County Council also are considering the issue.

Lawrence's proposed ordinance will go before the full council next month. If approved, it would impose a $2,500 fine against businesses selling the synthetic marijuana and a $1,000 fine against individuals doing so.

All of the ingredients of spice are not really known, because it is not regulated, said retiree Dr. Dick Huber.

He has crafted a resolution to be introduced to the Indiana State Medical Association to condemn the product and to ask the American Medical Association to seek action on a national level.

Huber wants the product to be under Food and Drug Administration oversight.

Huber, a former family practitioner, has been doing tobacco education with young people for 20 or 30 years.

At such a session last spring at Center Grover High School, he asked students about "gateway" drugs that can lead to the use of more dangerous substances.

"One of the students asked, 'What about spice?' " he recalled.

That was the first Huber had heard of it, so he went online in search of information. Poison-control officials listed possible effects from inhaling spice, including seizures and rapid heart rate.

Huber said he even ordered some and tried to figure out what was in it. The ingredients list included exotically named herbs, but none that he could identify as the source of the alleged "high."

He doesn't want young people to use spice, but he also wants the federal agency to get involved to scrutinize the product.

Huber is worried about the known and the unknown.

"I have difficulty with anybody taking something when they don't really know what it is," he said. "If I offer you a pill and just say, 'Here, this will make you feel good,' do you say, 'OK, I'll take a chance.'

" 'I'll just see what it's going to do.' "

Houston joins amicus brief against charter school law

The Houston County Board of Education will join an amicus brief to be filed before the Georgia Supreme Court by the Georgia School Boards Association and the Georgia School Superintendents Association about local control of charter schools in the state.

The amicus brief will be filed in opposition to a law that allows the Georgia Charter School Commission to form a charter school that receives funds through a portion of local tax revenue, but are not subject to control of local systems, according to the system’s resolution on the matter approved Tuesday.

Board members Skip Dawkins and Toby Hill argued that more charter schools would divert funding and resources from public schools and establish unequal educational facilities for students across the state. Dawkins also said many of the charter schools are virtual schools that provide courses online.

Board member Marianne Melnick said she supports charter schools, as long as they are under the control of local boards of education. She gave the example of the Houston County Career Academy, which is a partnership with the school system, Middle Georgia Technical College and the community at large.

“That’s how it should be done, not something segregated from the rest of the schools in the community,” Melnick said.

No local tax funds will be used toward the amicus brief, board Chairman Tom Walmer said.

Graduation logo design winner named

The Bibb County school system and the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce recently recognized the design winner of the “Operation Graduation” pin logo for the class of 2014.

Each year a contest is held for a new design logo for “Operation Graduation” a campaign to empower ninth-graders to graduate on time and give all freshmen an engraved pin with their graduation year.

This year’s pin design winner was Tyisha Wells from Southwest High School. She won $75. Second- and third-place winners were Chauncey Thomas from Northeast High School, who won $50, and Nicholas Owens from Southwest High School, who received $25.

“We are encouraging each ninth-grader to wear their pin as a reminder of their commitment to stay in school and graduate on time,” said Doris Christopher, chair of the chamber’s education committee. “This is an especially exciting year as (this year’s) senior class was the first class to receive their pins.”

Macon charter school seeking board members

The Macon Academy of Excellence is seeking candidates to volunteer on the coming charter school’s governing board, which will function like a school board to create policies.

The Bibb County school board granted a petition in July for the Macon Academy of Excellence to open next fall at the Progressive Christian Academy campus in the Pleasant Hill neighborhood.

Those interested should submit a letter of interest and résumé to Macon Academy of Excellence, ATTN: Nominating Committee, 2189 Third Ave, Macon, GA 31204, by midnight Oct. 15. Materials can also be e-mailed to maconacademyofexcellence@gmail.com or faxed to (678) 623-8138.

Those interested must have an impeccable history of community service, a desire to improve the quality of public education for all children in Bibb County, be well organized; be extremely committed to maintaining high standards as a governing board member; and possess proven business acumen.

The school will enroll children on a first-come, first-served basis, in grades kindergarten through fifth.

School Improvement Grant specialist named

Sharon Campbell was hired as the Bibb County school system’s new School Improvement Grant specialist. She will work with the four SIG schools that are receiving up to $12 million over three years to boost student achievement.

The four schools are Rutland, Northeast and Southwest high schools and Hutchings Career Center.

Campbell is currently a performance learning coach at Northeast. Her new position is funded through the federal grant.

Study shows teachers not jumping ship after five years

The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement recently released teacher attrition trends of Georgia’s public school teachers. The GOSA commissioned Ben Scafidi, an associate professor of Economics at Georgia College & State University, to examine teacher retention using Georgia public school employment data from 1998-2009.

The study assessed the extent of new teachers leaving public education altogether, those who leave but later return, or who move into other professional public education roles.

Some reports of teacher attrition suggest educators who teach one year but not the next as having left the profession entirely, which this study found not to be the case.

“This analysis is important because its findings clearly refute the long-held notion that half of Georgia’s teachers leave the profession within five years,” said Executive Director Kathleen Mathers. “Instead, by appropriately broadening the definition of retention, we’ve learned that nearly 75 percent of Georgia’s new teachers remain in public education after five years.”

The analysis, which used Georgia employment data, suggests that Georgia teachers are staying in schools longer and in greater numbers than many people commonly assume, said Eric Wearne, GOSA’s deputy director.

The entire report can be found at www.gaosa.org.

Houston BOE approves several changes to its policies

The Houston County Board of Education approved changes to several of its policies Tuesday, and has another on the table for consideration.

The board unanimously approved changes to a policy related to procedure for visitors who wish to speak at board work sessions, requiring 24 hours notice, as well as indicating that participation forms are available from the system’s website.

It also approved changes to its policy regarding acceptable use of information technology to update staff titles and to restrict movement of certain types of technological equipment. The approval of those changes was followed by a deletion of another policy that addressed the same topic.

Currently, a policy addressing employee computer and Internet use is under a 30-day consideration period by the board.

Students can enter contest to win college savings

September is national college savings month.

The Path2College 529 Plan in Georgia, which allows parents to squirrel away money for their children’s college tuition, is sponsoring a coloring sweepstakes for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

The winner will receive $1,529 toward a Path2College 529 Plan account, and the winner’s school will receive $1,000.

To enter, students can color a Hootie the Wise Old Owl sheet and answer the question, “When I graduate, I’m going to be a ____.” Entries must be submitted by a parent and post-marked by Sept. 30.

One random winner will be drawn in October. Parents can print the coloring entry form at www.path2college529.com.

The Path2College 529 Plan helps families prepare for the future costs of college tuition with no sign-up, maintenance or third-party sales fees. An account can be opened online with as little as $25.

The plan offers seven investment options and participants can arrange for automatic contributions to their accounts to be drawn directly from a bank account or payroll deduction with participating employers.

Read more: http://www.macon.com/2010/09/20/1271228/houston-joins-amicus-brief-against.html#ixzz1046YsQey

Social media play bigger role in state campaigns

The Roy Blunt campaign got some national attention for a video earlier this month, but it wasn't one of his official campaign advertisements.

Not only was intern Michael Talent's spoof of Old Spice referenced on Politico, but his video grabbed people's attention and stirred interest in volunteering for the Republican's campaign, said spokesman Rich Chrismer.

Social media -- YouTube videos, Twitter feeds and a host of other Internet tools -- took hold during the 2008 election, especially with Barack Obama's campaign. Blunt and his Democratic opponent, Robin Carnahan, frequently use tools and strategies that were unheard-of then, or even didn't exist.

On the surface, Blunt's online campaign looks little like his agricultural tours and speeches about jobs. But Chrismer said the focus is the same: reach voters in whatever venue is easiest for them.

For some, that's a visit from the candidate himself at a community location. For others, that's tweets from his political director, Dan Centinello (@centinello), about what's on the Blunt Brigade's playlist or sneaked pictures of Blunt or other members of the campaign.

"We are communicating with Missourians, having a conversation with Missourians, using many different ways of connecting with Missouri voters," Chrismer said.

Matt Baker, president of the Missouri State University College Republicans, said that sort of thing doesn't necessarily persuade young people to go vote, but it does increase excitement.

He compared Chrismer's tweets to a series of press releases. The tweets, Baker said, are more interesting and more likely to resonate with voters.

"I like it because it doesn't go too far, where people are turned off," he said.

Blunt's opposition is doing some of the same. After Fox News Network sued Carnahan's campaign, its manager, Mindy Mazur, recorded a video speaking directly to voters at 10 p.m.

Carnahan's spokesman, Linden Zakula, said it's important for candidates to be accessible all the time and to pinpoint their target audience.ahan has released Web videos, tweets and an online poll that asks, "Do you think Roy Blunt should come clean?"

Missouri Young Democrats' spokesman Thomas Bloom said the most effective social media campaigns aren't "top-down."

"The most effective campaigns use social networks in a way to get input and to get people to talk about why they support an idea," he said.

Like Chrismer, he compared it to canvassing -- having a conversation with voters about whatever they want to talk about. He pointed to Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., as an example of an effective Twitter-user.

McCaskill mixes personal statements with her policy positions and updates on what's going on in Washington. She's been named in lists of the best Twitter-users in Congress.

He said campaigns should look at previously successful campaigns, such as Rock the Vote, to model their social media strategy after.

"Figure out how you can model your package on social networks in a way that is more innovative and inspires young people to get involved," he said.

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Swedish gov't courts Greens, shuns far-right

Sweden's prime minister sought help from the leftist opposition Monday to avoid a political deadlock after an Islam-bashing far-right group spoiled his center-right government's control of Parliament.

Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt's coalition won Sunday's election but lost its majority in the 349-seat legislature, weakening its ability to push through crucial legislation.

The Sweden Democrats, a small nationalist party, entered Parliament for the first time, winning 20 seats to hold the balance of power between the center-right and the opposition left-wing bloc.

Voters fill the booths at a polling station during general elections in Stockholm, Sweden Sunday Sept. 19, 2010. Voting started Sunday in Sweden's election with polls showing the center-right government heading for a historic second term, but an Islam-bashing far-right group could spoil its majority.

- Janerik Henriksson /AP Photo

Reinfeldt reached out to the opposition Green Party because he has vowed not to govern with the Sweden Democrats, who demand sharp cuts in immigration and have called Islam Sweden's greatest foreign threat since World War II.

Green Party spokeswoman Agneta Borjesson declined to comment on any potential collaborations with the center-right government on Monday.

"We need some peace and quiet to be able to meet and there is such incredible pressure," she said.

Earlier, Green leader Maria Wetterstrand rejected the idea, saying she couldn't envision supporting a government "that doesn't have a climate policy."

Reinfeldt's four-party alliance dropped to 172 seats - three short of a majority - compared to 154 seats for the Social Democrat-led opposition, according to preliminary official results. A final vote count is expected Wednesday.

The left-wing Social Democrats won only 30.8 percent of votes, its lowest result since universal suffrage was introduced in 1921. For this vote, it had it had joined forces for the first time with the smaller Left and Green parties.

Analysts said talks across the political divide were necessary for Reinfeldt to continue ruling with a minority government.

"The main lead is the idea that the Green Party should step over and enter some kind of deal with the alliance," Stig-Bjorn Ljunggren said, referring to the center-right bloc.

He also said the governing coalition would have to change its policies in several key areas to win over the Greens, including plans to build new nuclear reactors in Sweden and restrict sickness benefits.

If Reinfeldt fails to solve the impasse he will be left with a fragile minority government that could be forced to resign if it fails to push its legislation through Parliament.

"I have been clear on how we will handle this uncertain situation: We will not cooperate, or become dependent on, the Sweden Democrats," Reinfeldt, 45, said Sunday.

Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson on Sunday said his party had "written political history" in the election.

Large waves of immigration from the Balkans, Iraq and Iran have changed the demography of the once-homogenous Scandinavian country, and one-in-seven residents are now foreign-born. The Sweden Democrats say immigration has become an economic burden that drains the welfare system.

Reinfeldt's coalition ousted the Social Democrats in 2006 and kept its promises to lower taxes and trim welfare benefits. Sweden's export-driven economy is expected to grow by more than 4 percent this year while its 2010 budget gap is on track to be the smallest in the 27-nation European Union.

Read more: http://www.thestate.com/2010/09/19/1472902/swedish-govt-seeks-re-election.html#ixzz1045t8kOQ

Ayodhya Verdict — Goons cannot be allowed to take benefit

Goons & Murderers cannot be allowed to take the benefit of their own dastardly deeds as even a rightful heir if kills his ancestor, forfeits his right of inheritance

By Rajindar Sachar, The Milli Gazette Online

Published Online: Sep 18, 2010

Both government and opposition and the public in general are rightly in panic awaiting the verdict on Babri Masjid by Allahabad High Court – a situation brought about by the faltering non secular stand by all the concerned governments. The High Court is to give verdict on the following points;

1. Was the place under Babri Majid the birth place of Lord Ram.
2. Was there or not a temple on the land on which Babri Masjid was built.

Now it is obvious to the meanest intelligence that it is impossible to prove that birth place of Lord Ram was under the Masjid – it may be a matter of faith, genuine or contrived or otherwise, but that is no proof, nor can it ever be put forward as a legal ground to take away the land from the Mosque.

If the finding is that Masjid was not built on a temple, then the Muslims get the land back and free to use it in any way including the building of Mosque.

In the alternative it may be held that there was a temple on the land of Babri Mosque. But even with this finding the suit by VHP/RSS has to be dismissed. Admittedly Babri Masjid has been in existence for over 400 years till it was demolished by goons of VHP/RSS in 1992. Legally, speaking the Sangh Parivar would have no right even if a temple had been demolished to build the Babri Masjid.

I say this in view of the precedent of the case of Masjid Shahid Ganj in Lahore decided by the Privy Council in (1940). In that case there was admittedly a Mosque existing since 1722 A.D. But by 1762, the building came under Sikh rule and was being used as a Gurdawara. It was only in 1935 that a suit was filed claiming the building was a Mosque and should be returned to Muslims.

The Privy Council while observing “their Lordship have every sympathy with a religious sentiment which would ascribe sanctity and in violability to a place of worship, they cannot under the Limitation Act accept the contentions that such a building cannot be possessed adversely” and then went on to hold “The Property now in question having been possessed by Sikhs adversely to the waqf and to all interests thereunder for more than 12 years, the right of the mutawalli to possession for the purposes of the waqf came to an end under Limitation Act. “On the same parity of reasoning even if temple existed prior to the building of Masjid 400 years ago, suit by VHP etc has to fail”.

There is another reason why in such a situation, suit would fail because in common law, even a rightful heir if he kills his ancestor, forfeits his right of inheritance. In the Masjid case too, there was ‘murder most foul’ and hence the murderer cannot be allowed to take the benefit of his own dastardly deeds, whatever the legal position may be.

It is true that sometime some Muslims groups in a spirit of large heartedness and as a measure of mutual accommodation, suggest that if it was found that the Masjid was built on the site of a temple, they would not like to now build a Mosque on the said site because the Koran forbids Muslims to build a mosque by demolishing any other religious place. But even them, if Muslims choose not to build a Masjid on this site, the ownership and use of the land remains with them. Hindu cannot under any circumstances lay a claim to this site which was under Babri Masjid.

Some well intentioned persons come out with apparently neutral suggestion of building a multi Religious complex on the site. To me this would be surrender to rabid Hindu Communal sentiment - whatever explanation you may give, a Muslim then would feel less equal citizen if even after he has won, he is asked to share this site with the goons who destroyed the Holy Mosque. This would be a defeat of secularism and against our constitution which mandates that all citizens, whether Hindus, Muslims have equal Rights and are equal before law.

A multi Religious Complex or multi culture Centre or a hospital can obviously be built by the joint free will efforts of both Hindus and Muslims. But such a complex if it is to be built necessarily must be on the land away and outside the Masjid complex, and that too only if the Muslims give their consent - obviously as vacant land belongs to the Muslims. But under all circumstances, the site under Babri Masjid must remain in the exclusive possession of Muslims who will be free to use it in any way the community decides.

I feel that the government should start doing an exercise of consultation, preparation on these lines – to await helplessly trying to anticipate what the verdict would be is like a pigeon who on seeing a cat closes its eyes with the delusion that cat will go away – the result is obvious.

Equally I feel that leaders of all communities, political parties, social workers should start planning to meet the situation, because this matter requires the involvement of people at grass root level and the matter does not brook any delay.

The legal position is clear. It is only the weakness of political will that is responsible for the Ayodhya imbroglio to continue as one of the most bitter disputes within the country. By keeping the Ayodhya issue alive, the country has been kept away from addressing it’s most urgent task – how to meet the challenge of the growing pauperization of the masses. And that includes both Hindus and Muslims.

Information Bill 'necessary'

While government will look at narrowing the scope of the controversial Protection of Information Bill, it will not satisfy those who oppose it, say opposition political parties.

The proposed legislation has come under fire for potentially restricting media freedom and the publication of information deemed to be classified by government. This would affect all forms of media, including online publishers and journalists, who would face penalties of between five and 25 years in prison for publishing classified information.

Speaking before Parliament's ad hoc committee, which will oversee the drafting of the law, state security minister Siyabonga Cwele said the law was necessary as SA had become a haven for espionage activities and that its open society was allowing this to foster.

Cwele said that, while he accepted the need for the law to be changed in order to remove the concept of “national interest and commercial” as being too wide, the defence for journalists or others releasing classified information in the “public interest” would be rejected.

He said that having weighed the largely critical comments, he remained convinced that it was necessary to have a new law to protect SA's national security.

“There are several clear and present dangers that call for the enactment of a law that would help protect the national security of SA. These emanate from outside and inside this country and include, inter alia, espionage, information peddling alteration of critical databases,” Cwele said.

Democratic Alliance shadow justice minister Dene Smuts said Cwele's stance amounted to a bid to legitimise the long-standing abuse of state intelligence to police political activity. She said this was part of the paranoia that began under former president Thabo Mbeki.

Smuts described the secrecy spread as an “oil slick”, because the National Intelligence Agency was allowed to spy in areas that should be beyond its brief in any healthy democracy.

Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille led a demonstration to the Constitutional Court late last week, to protest the Protection of Information Bill and possible creation of a Media Appeals Tribunal.

Zille described these developments as attempts to undermine the country's democracy.

Although the Protection of Information Bill was supposed to be finalised by Parliament this month, Cwele indicated work on it was still ongoing, and that it would return to the committee for further input.

Fiji government, opposition settle online censorship row

Fiji's main opposition Labour Party said Friday it had resolved a stand-off with the nation's military government over whether it needed to submit online statements for vetting before publication.

Fiji's information ministry this week criticised the party's website for allegedly posting "mischievous" statements and demanded in a letter that all future media releases be submitted for approval under new tough media laws.

"It has been noted that the Fiji Labour Party has been posting media press releases in its website calculated to undermine the government generally or bring disrepute to particular government officials," said the letter, which the Labour Party put up on its website.

The Pacific island nation's government has censored news outlets since it came to power in a 2006 coup and issued a decree last June further tightening control over the media.

The decree, which says all media outlets must be 90 percent locally owned, has cast doubt over the future of the Fiji Times, the country's largest circulation newspaper, established in 1869.

Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry said he met with information ministry officials Friday and reached agreement on how the party's website would continue to operate under the new rules.

"The media decree is intended mainly for newspapers and broadcast media... it's a bit grey with regards to websites," Chaudhry told AFP.

"We met with the information ministry and resolved amicably how we will proceed."

Chaudhry refused to disclose details of the agreement.

Fiji's self-appointed ruler Voreqe Bainimarama said in an interview with Australian public broadcaster ABC last month that he had to take a hard line against critics as he prepared the country for elections promised in 2014.

"This is not an ordinary government, we're trying to bring about reforms and changes, and for that [it is] understood that at some stage we'll need to shut some people up, and stop this from bringing about instability," he said.

Abbott wants Turnbull to woo independents

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says he hopes the appointment of Malcolm Turnbull as communications spokesman will help convince key independent MPs to dump Labor and switch sides.

Mr Abbott is foreshadowing his tactics for the coming months after yesterday revealing a frontbench line-up which he described as "hungry" to hold the minority Government to account.

He has flagged the Government's broadband policy - one of the areas crucial in swinging at least one independent towards supporting Labor - as a major battleground over the next 18 months.

Mr Turnbull has now been brought back to the frontbench as communications spokesman and has been told by Mr Abbott to "demolish" Labor's broadband policy.

Labor holds a wafer-thin majority of just one vote and will need to negotiate with the Greens and three independents in order to keep the Government running.

When asked on AM this morning if he would try to convince the independents to do an about-face, Mr Abbott replied: "I think that's what we should be doing".

"With someone like Malcolm in charge of communications policy, in charge of exposing the waste and extravagance inherent in the Government's broadband plans, that becomes a very real prospect.

"I don't think we need another election. What I think we need is a good government, and what I think is pretty obvious is that we're not going to get government from the Labor Party."

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has dismissed any threat from the Coalition over broadband.

"Tony Abbott does not have a broadband policy, full stop," she told Melbourne ABC Local Radio this morning.

"And critical to the decision making of the independents was the power of broadband to transform regional communities."

And independent MP Tony Windsor says he doubts he would be swayed to change his mind on just one issue.

"I won't be pushing the Government out of power over one particular issue or another," he told NewsRadio.

"They'll have to either perform very badly or be in some situation of maladministration or corruption. I'm not contemplating changing my mind just yet."

Mr Turnbull was installed by Mr Abbott to the communications portfolio after some within Coalition ranks admitted that it had not sold its alternative policy well enough during the election campaign.

The former opposition leader wasted no time in attacking the Government's $43 billion National Broadband Network saying it will be worth a "mere fraction" of that once it has been built.

Speaking on Radio National today, Mr Turnbull said it would be up to the independents to decide whether or not they will stick with Labor.

"I guess only time will tell, it has happened before," he said.

"If they decide to change their mind that's a matter for them. The last thing the independents would want is another election."

The Opposition supports spending much less money than the Government to attract private investment to supply around 90 per cent of homes with broadband through a range of technologies.

Mr Turnbull said yesterday that while the policy was better than Labor's, all Coalition policies would now be up for review in the wake of its election loss.

Abbott 'backing out of speaker deal'

Independent MP Rob Oakeshott says he will meet Tony Abbott in Sydney on Monday, after accusing the Opposition Leader of trying to back away from the deal struck on parliamentary reforms.

The reform package includes a provision to pair the speaker with an MP from the opposing side - a change which would be key to Mr Oakeshott's bid to park himself in the speaker's chair.

Mr Oakeshott was one of the key architects of the reforms, which were sealed with a "group hug" during negotiations on the hung parliament after the inconclusive federal election.

But the Opposition maintains the constitution does not allow a speaker to have a deliberative vote on legislation.

Now Mr Oakeshott has accused the Opposition of trying to backflip on the reform deal and says it could result in a deadlock if neither major party wants to put forward a candidate when Parliament resumes.

"It's sounding that way and it is a great concern," he told Sky News.

"The point of that agreement was to recognise the moment that we may have a Mexican stand-off on September 28, where neither side is willing to unlock one of their own [to be speaker].

"This isn't about me and some out-of-control ego.

"We've all heard the language for the last 20 days about a kinder, gentler polity. Is someone going to be a wrecker? Is the Coalition going to be seriously committed to keeping this parliament running?"

Mr Abbott will meet Mr Oakeshott in Sydney on Monday morning to discuss the matter.

He says the Coalition is committed to parliamentary reform but he thinks current Speaker Harry Jenkins is still the best candidate.

"Given the closeness of the numbers we agreed to [the reforms] because it was a way ... of allowing a speaker to be appointed, possibly from the government ranks, without making the government's task impossible," he told Fairfax Radio.

"It all gets vastly more complicated if an independent is in the chair."

Who should be the next leader of the Labour party?

The new leader of the Labour party will be announced in Manchester this weekend, four months after Gordon Brown stepped down in the wake of his election defeat.

Five candidates - Ed Balls, Ed Miliband, David Miliband, Andy Burnham and Diane Abbott - have been canvassing for votes around the country while Harriet Harman led the opposition  as temporary party leader.

A secret ballot of party members, trade unions and MPs will reveal the name of the next leader on Saturday in time for them to take charge of the party conference in Manchester Central, which runs throughout next week.

Who do you think should lead the party as it challenges the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition - and can the Labour party bounce back?

The MEN is conducting an online poll ahead of the conference: Click on this link to take part in our survey