zahid
Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rahman
EDIT title should read MP's not Pm's
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Fiery Nationals MP Andrew Fraser has been suspended from NSW parliament and has resigned from the opposition frontbench after attacking Roads Minister Joe Tripodi in the lower house chamber.
Mr Tripodi was on Tuesday night making a speech in parliament's "bear pit" about upgrading the Pacific Highway when Mr Fraser grabbed him by the neck and shook him, before parliamentary staff intervened.
Mr Fraser on Wednesday expressed remorse for his unprecedented behaviour, which was captured on video, and denied being drunk when he lunged at the minister.
Despite his misbehaviour, Nationals leader Andrew Stoner has left open the prospect of allowing Mr Fraser, who had been the opposition's spokesman on housing and small business, to return to the frontbench.
"I think when Andrew serves his punishment, and depending on if he is genuinely remorseful ... then he can come back to the frontbench in the future," Mr Stoner said.
As he left parliament house on Wednesday to begin his eight-day suspension, Mr Fraser told journalists he had not been intoxicated when he attacked Mr Tripodi.
"No, I wasn't drunk; no, I wasn't anywhere near intoxicated," he said.
"If (the government) wants to make those implications I'd suggest they have a good look at their own backbench, have a good look at some of their members and just see who does do the drinking down here."
Mr Stoner on Wednesday told ABC radio he knew Mr Fraser had not been drinking before the incident, but later admitted he had bought Mr Fraser a glass of wine at the Parliament House bar and that Mr Fraser had consumed at least half of it.
"At the time when I was asked the (initial) question I said he had not been drinking in the context that he had not consumed a large number of drinks," Mr Stoner later explained.
Mr Tripodi described Mr Fraser as a "crazy man" who "came into chambers and started abusing me".
"Fortunately there were a few people around who stepped in and dragged him off me and dragged him out of the chamber," he told ABC radio.
"He then came back into the chamber again through another entrance and continued to abuse me from the other side of the table."
It's not the first time Mr Fraser has found himself in hot water.
In 1990, he was accused of assaulting a woman at a cricket match between Australia and Sri Lanka in Coffs Harbour, but the charges were dropped.
The Labor Party also accused him of being drunk during an estimates committee hearing on September 20 this year - which Mr Fraser vehemently denies.
A humiliated Mr Fraser on Wednesday told parliament he was sorry for his behaviour.
"I apologise to each and every one of you in this house, to my colleagues, my electorate, to my family," he told the lower house.
"I have apologised ... to Joe Tripodi and he has accepted that apology."
MPs subsequently voted unanimously to suspend Mr Fraser for eight sitting days.
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DISCUSS.
video linkage:
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http://ninemsn.video.msn.com/v/en-a...de1bdc175c1&p=aunews_aunationalninenews&t=s29
----OUOTE NINE MSN-------
Fiery Nationals MP Andrew Fraser has been suspended from NSW parliament and has resigned from the opposition frontbench after attacking Roads Minister Joe Tripodi in the lower house chamber.
Mr Tripodi was on Tuesday night making a speech in parliament's "bear pit" about upgrading the Pacific Highway when Mr Fraser grabbed him by the neck and shook him, before parliamentary staff intervened.
Mr Fraser on Wednesday expressed remorse for his unprecedented behaviour, which was captured on video, and denied being drunk when he lunged at the minister.
Despite his misbehaviour, Nationals leader Andrew Stoner has left open the prospect of allowing Mr Fraser, who had been the opposition's spokesman on housing and small business, to return to the frontbench.
"I think when Andrew serves his punishment, and depending on if he is genuinely remorseful ... then he can come back to the frontbench in the future," Mr Stoner said.
As he left parliament house on Wednesday to begin his eight-day suspension, Mr Fraser told journalists he had not been intoxicated when he attacked Mr Tripodi.
"No, I wasn't drunk; no, I wasn't anywhere near intoxicated," he said.
"If (the government) wants to make those implications I'd suggest they have a good look at their own backbench, have a good look at some of their members and just see who does do the drinking down here."
Mr Stoner on Wednesday told ABC radio he knew Mr Fraser had not been drinking before the incident, but later admitted he had bought Mr Fraser a glass of wine at the Parliament House bar and that Mr Fraser had consumed at least half of it.
"At the time when I was asked the (initial) question I said he had not been drinking in the context that he had not consumed a large number of drinks," Mr Stoner later explained.
Mr Tripodi described Mr Fraser as a "crazy man" who "came into chambers and started abusing me".
"Fortunately there were a few people around who stepped in and dragged him off me and dragged him out of the chamber," he told ABC radio.
"He then came back into the chamber again through another entrance and continued to abuse me from the other side of the table."
It's not the first time Mr Fraser has found himself in hot water.
In 1990, he was accused of assaulting a woman at a cricket match between Australia and Sri Lanka in Coffs Harbour, but the charges were dropped.
The Labor Party also accused him of being drunk during an estimates committee hearing on September 20 this year - which Mr Fraser vehemently denies.
A humiliated Mr Fraser on Wednesday told parliament he was sorry for his behaviour.
"I apologise to each and every one of you in this house, to my colleagues, my electorate, to my family," he told the lower house.
"I have apologised ... to Joe Tripodi and he has accepted that apology."
MPs subsequently voted unanimously to suspend Mr Fraser for eight sitting days.
---------------------------end quote----------------------------
DISCUSS.
video linkage:
javascript:window.open('http://ninemsn.video.msn.com/v/en-au/v.htm?f=39&g=7530fcc1-a199-41c8-a090-d4abcd339f64&p=aunews_aunationalninenews&t=s29');void(0);
http://ninemsn.video.msn.com/v/en-a...de1bdc175c1&p=aunews_aunationalninenews&t=s29
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