Gillard’s minority government loses division in Oz House of Representatives

CANBERRA - The Julian Gillard Government in Australia lost a division on the floor of the House of Representatives today, the first to do so since 1941.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the 73-72 vote was over a relatively small procedural issue which was part of proposed parliamentary reforms and did not affect Julia Gillard’s hold on power.

There were two “pairs” in which absent Government MPs were matched by abstaining Coalition MPs.

The pairs were for Regional development Minister Simon Crean who was addressing the National Press Club, and heavily pregnant Human Services Minister Tanya Plibersek.

Labor’s loss came in a vote in which an MP inadvertently missed a vote.

Two of the four independents that backed Labor to form minority government switched their support to the Coalition on amendments to the parliamentary reform legislation, while Queensland MP Bob Katter, who had sided with the Coalition, supported Labor. (ANI)