The Speaker of the Australian parliament, Bronwyn Bishop, finds herself in more trouble over expenses claimed for charter helicopter flights, and other overseas expenses.
It now comes to light the Ms Bishop has chartered two helicopter flights to attend Liberal Party fundraisers, knowing full well that this is well outside the guidelines for tax-payer funded expenses.
But Ms Bishop states that she has paid back those expenses, so that makes it alright. No, Ms Bishop, it does not make it OK! What about willingly defrauding the Commonwealth, by making claims for payment to which you are not entitled? That’s like saying if a person gives back the money after they have robbed a bank, there is no offence. The police would not see it that way!
There is only one thing that should happen here. Ms Bishop should resign as Speaker, and resign from the parliament. If she cant or wont, then the Prime Minister must remove her from the Speakers role. But as Ms Bishop still can’t she that she has done anything wrong, and has this “don’t you know who I am attitude,” so believes that there is no need for her to go. She has been caught red-handed with her nose wallowing in the public trough!
In truth, she is not likely to do either, and the Prime Minister is also not likely to sack her as Speaker as he lacks the guts to do so. As Speaker she has not done a good job. Rather than show independence and impartiality that a Speaker should, she has shown a blatant and distinct bias toward the Liberal Party.
The Australian public deserve better than this, but politicians continue to demonstrate that they are there for themselves, and for what they can gouge from the public purse in terms of allowances, junkets and perks, rather than giving the Australian public a parliament which they have a right to deserve.
As a non-minister, Ms Bishop is number 7 in the list of the Top Ten Liberal Party spenders.
A full inquiry into Ms Bishop’s public funded expenses is long overdue.
Words, By George! 