Thrashed with a feather!

With the stench about her government getting worse Julia Gillard has moved to ask Craig Thomson, the Labor member whose union credit card was used to pay  for thousands of dollars for prostitutes , to leave the Labor Party. The honorable member has agreed and will continue as an Independent voting with the Government as before as criminal investigations continue. So what has changed? Nothing! Gillard must think the Australian voters are complete fools if she thinks she has cleaned up the mess! Craig Thomson still receives his full parliamentary pay as usual following this cruel and unusual punishment.

JULIA GILLARD says she is trying to rid parliament of a "dark cloud" by having Craig Thomson quit Labor and asking Peter Slipper to remain stood down as Speaker.

The Prime Minister also moved to protect her embattled government with today's simultaneous announcements, at which she said a “line has been crossed” when it came to maintaining Australians' respect for federal parliament.

Mr Thomson, the embattled backbencher facing allegations of fraud while head of the Health Services Union, will be suspended from the Labor Party but remain in parliament as an independent.

Ms Gillard said she had also asked Peter Slipper, who is facing allegations of fraud and sexual harassment, to remain stood down as Speaker for a "further period of time".

Mr Slipper has already stood down as Speaker over the fraud allegations, but today said in a statement they had been shown to be a fabrication and "there is no longer any reason to step aside