Abbott will do whatever provides him with the most political advantage.

Tones is completely amoral.
He is interested only in power.

This issue is resolved in the affirmative; the Lady has resigned, end of story!
Rhrosty.

Why can’t our elected representatives comprehend why there is a public trust deficit resembling a sinkhole of massive proportions? Could it be that they do not deem themselves subject to many of the rules dictated by them for us? Mrs Bishop is now the face of that trust deficit. Her profligacy runs contrary to the expectations she has of everyone else.

Mrs Bishop has paid a huge price for her ‘errors of judgment’. Not at the present as she still enjoys the largesse of the public and a retirement that most can only dream of, but history will not be kind. Mrs Bishop will always be remembered as “the speaker that resigned in disgrace”.

I doubt that anyone could argue against proper remuneration for the costs of doing their job. However many of the reasons given are now subject to understandable public ridicule. Some politicians, with almost no façade of propriety, engineer minor public engagements to coincide with private travel to put the lot on the public purse. Other reasons are so questionable that it is hard to fathom why they are uttered at all.

Mrs Bishop is quick to point to her responsibilities in spreading the word on Australian democracy and our method of government as her reason for spanning the country and the globe. Really? Any ten year old can google. The Australian Government has a website dedicated to the history and running of our parliament. So why did the Speaker’s reasons for travel hit a chord with many of her colleagues? Sadly, contrived importance is not a rare commodity on the hill and comes at a great cost to us.

We now have the prospect of a review of member entitlements. There was a time when there was enough trust in the electorate to believe that effective changes would be seriously considered. Instead, just about everyone I talk to believes that the review will be spun out, diminished and forgotten

Not "end of story" Rhrosty.

Was it "end of story" about Gillards dealings as a lawyer 30 odd years ago? Was it "end of story" when Peter Slipper stood down? Was it "end of story" after Pink Batts deaths? Was it "end of story" when Craig Thompson resigned? Was it "end of story" about Shortens union dealings?

This abbott thug was the one who dragged Australian politics into the deepest, darkest sewer he could find. It is a bit late to be asking for mercy now.

Where does that leave us? With polly entitlements scheme that is beyond ridiculous thats where. Who else can rent their own home from their wife and get paid rental allowance whilst your wife claims negative gearing. OMG! that puts the term double dipping to shame. Shame Shame Shame Wheres JLN? Wheres team Laz? Wheres Wilkie? Wheres Xeno? looking after our interests no looking after their own and laughing their heads off with the rest of them.

Abbott's arrogance has shone through like a light house beacon. He defended her to the eye balls, then said she done the right thing [in resigning] by the Australian people.

Entitlements can-not be in control of individuals. They can-not be trusted to make the right decisions, and makes way for corruption.

Receipts may not necessarily be worth what they say they are for. Remember getting receipts at service stations, they ask you how much do you want the receipt to be for.

A pox on both the Coalition and ALP. Both seem to be up to their necks in dodgy expense claims.

We need a federal ICAC now!

Not some mealy-mouthed report delivered a year too late.

Especially one that may well entrench one of the most detested and obscene aspects of the pollies rorting - attending party fundraisers and functions.
Part of the terms of reference Tony Abbott has put forward include:
"the committee will consider: ...
acknowledging the role of party business in parliamentary business."
https://www.pm.gov.au/sites/default/files/media/15-08-02_an_independent_parliamentary_entitlements_system_terms_of_reference.pdf

We should not be paying our elected representatives to go to their own party events - we pay them to represent us. Taxpayers should not be expected to pay for pollies to attend party functions.

Here's some suggestions for the committee:

No more $5000 helicopter rides to party fundraisers. No more hiring $1000 a day limousines. No more claiming travel expenses to: attend colleague's weddings; to go on their own book tours; to attend charity fundraisers; to buy real estate; to visit their own farm; to stay in their own house; to watch their footy team. No more organising 10 minute hospital tours to cover travel claims for predominantly private or party purposes. No more spending $90,000 of taxpayer money to apply for new jobs. No more $600,000 for gardening at Kirribilli house and $13,000 rugs. What a mob of leaners!

When you think that 1 in every 200 Australians is homeless and that a single unemployed person on Newstart gets $260 a week to live on,(and even that appallingly low amount was considered too good for the unemployed - Tony wanted to remove Newstart completely for the unemployed under 30years of age, for 6 months at a time - including pregnant women!) the extravagent spending by our pollies is obscene. Many earn $200K - $500K and then spend similar amounts on expenses. It makes me want to vomit.

No more boosting their own egos trying to match the spending of their corporate and mining friends by being extravagant when spending OUR MONEY!

Where is the AFP?

Us and Them.
My view is that a separate balance of power needs to exist between politicians and the people.
If they make laws for us we need to make the laws for them.
When that happens, this doesn't happen anymore.

All we need to do is say this
"You must not lie. You must keep the election promises you made.
If you don't, you risk your future entitlements and a stint in jail for contempt of the Australian public."

Fool me once, shame on you... Fool me twice shame on me.
If we don't fix the problem properly and we continue to allow the politicians to make the laws that govern themselves we're going to continue to have situations like this and we'll have ourselves to blame for it.