Who are the suits sitting in the chamber and what have they done with my beloved Opposition?

The heckling, the screaming, the insults, the jeers? Where were they?

All I saw today was a quiet and polite Liberal Party who LISTENED TO A SPEECH KATY GALLAGHER READ OUT LOUD. A WRITTEN SPEECH! Seriously, what is with that?

I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Treasurer read from a speech, least of all do so without periodically bellowing for silence from the Opposition benches.

Okay so they chanted “paranoid” at the Chief Minister towards the end and said he need not be afraid of Alistair Coe (who isn’t afraid of a 26-year-old-young Liberal in red ties and slacks?), but really, how can you expect the Government to be scrutinised properly if no one raises their voices out of turn?

While Liberal MLA Jeremy Hanson stuck to his guns, questioning Gallagher’s behaviour in relation to the Ministerial Code of Conduct, he and his colleagues applauded the Government when Stanhope defended Conservation Volunteers Australia camping in areas not designated as a camping site by Parks.

That’s right. They applauded the Government. The Canberra Liberals applauded the Government!

Alistair Coe asked: “Regarding conservation volunteers, unlike the Greens, we also support them and we’re keen to know how else the Government is supporting Conservation Volunteers Australia.”

“I don’t know if it’s fair to suggest the Greens don’t support Conservation Australia,” the Chief responded with much amusement. “But it’s a long bow to suggest the occasional overnight stay is to embrace camping.”

Quite frankly their behaviour had me totally stumped until I remembered the words of their Federal leader, Mr Tony Abbott, who still may be Prime Minister.

“I think we can have a kinder, gentler polity,” Abbott told reporters yesterday.

“I think we can be a more collegial polity than we’ve been.”

People of our nation’s capital, this is it. No more shall we enjoy entertaining and fun-filled Question Times. Australia-wide we will be subjected to the politely dull exchanges of minority Government.

At least in Federal Parliament we’ll have Bob Katter to keep us sane, down the road in the Assembly chamber we have no bananas.

The other answer is the Liberals smell a spill.

Liberal MLA Steve Doszpot today inferred a leadership spill might be on the cards, with his question to the Deputy Chief Minister and Treasurer, Katy Gallagher:

“Treasurer, have you or any delegate of yours instructed the department to produce new ministerial briefs, if so when did this take place and were the briefs recieved by your office? If not are you aware of any official under you beinig instructed to prepare new ministerial briefs?”

Gallagher laughed and firmly responded in the negative.

“Someone’s trying to get rid of me or I’m trying to get rid of myself now? The answer’s no.”

Of course what they were suggesting is that if Stanhope resigns, Gallagher will take over as leader and bequest the Treasury to someone else.

Now that would be more exciting than bananas.