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April 24th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda Rumours were swirling that the federal government was set to cut a deal with MP Peter Slipper to neutralise Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie’s poker machine reforms weeks before his appointment as Speaker, fellow independent Nick Xenophon says.
Mr Wilkie guaranteed he would support Labor in minority government in return for poker machine reforms after the 2010 election.
But Labor faced a backlash from its grass roots supporters over the move, which was reflecting in the polls and had government MPs concerned.
Mr Slipper has stood aside from the Speaker’s role while allegations he misused Cabcharges are investigated and he also faces a civil claim by a staffer, who alleges he was sexually harassed.
Senator Xenophon, who has worked closely with Mr Wilkie to push poker machine reforms, said the government was now getting “a case of instant karma” for turning to Mr Slipper to take up the role of Speaker in the lower house.
“Peter Slipper was offered the role of speaker with a view to sidelining, marginalising Andrew Wilkie with poker machine reform,” he told ABC Television.
“I heard a rumour four or five weeks before that was what the government was planning to do to neutralise Andrew Wilkie’s vote and threats in relation to withdrawing his support from the government unless they got poker machine reform through.”
Senator Xenophon said he considered the rumour “too fanciful and high risk at the time.”
Mr Wilkie issued a statement on Tuesday night saying he did not support Mr Slipper being reinstated as Speaker until he had been cleared of allegations of misusing Cabcharges and a civil sexual harassment claim.
Senior Labor ministers have said if Mr Slipper is cleared of misusing taxpayer funds by giving out Cabcharges he could return to the role.
But the coalition want Mr Slipper to be prevented from returning to the job until he is cleared of the sexual harassment claims as well.
Community Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin has been trying to persuade Mr Wilkie to accept her support for watered-down poker machine reforms.
The minister wrote to him last Friday about his demands.
The Tasmanian independent is now considering Ms Macklin’s response.
He is unhappy with draft laws presented by the government because they do not bind future governments to implementing the reforms for mandatory pre-commitment technology.
Mr Wilkie has previously warned the government he would be a “ticking time bomb” if it didn’t cede to his demands in relation to the reforms.
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