It's always entertaining watching otb, OLO's faux defender of all things feminine, attempting to type the word "women" without having apoplexy.

He's struggling, but he managed to type "womyn" - and (wo)men...making progress.

Let's not beat about the bush regarding BBishop as Speaker.

There's not even the merest skerrick of pretension with that "woman" that she is either independent or bipartisan when she's sitting in the chair....not a skerrick.

400 to 7 94A removals speaks for itself.

How about her bleating the other day that the only thing she would apologise for is getting in the way of the govt's planned attack on Shorten...that's from an "independent" Speaker - one who regularly attends cabinet meetings.

The folly of Gillard appointing Slipper, of course, had it's play out, the second scene is being played out now, with the AFP and Finance apparently applying polar opposite method in their dealings with Bishop's case to that which they applied in the Slipper case.

LOL, much hissing, but sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander.

Bronwyn Bishop has erred through her politician's frivolousness (let 'them' knock the travel claim back if it might not meet the vague and subjective tests) which is shared by many, but she isn't the first to do it, as is easily demonstrated by the high life and frequent travel of Australia's First Womyn PM.

-There are always many people of solid achievement around, but the manipulative, scheming Juliar got the geurnsey after knifing her leader.

As is so often the case where the fish rots from the head as it did with Gillard and her treacherous Greens sidekicks at the helm of government, Gillard's sorry, cynical treatment of Harry Jenkins who was a Speaker satisfactory to all comers (although the same miscreants played their childish games in the House) has led to a very negative focus on the Speaker, to the detriment of Parliamentary business.

The Speaker's chair was tainted by Gillard's cynical ploys and by the appointment of her man, Slipper, well before Bishop.

It is apparent that the entitlement conditions of politicians will always be contentious and that applies hugely in the case of the Speaker, whose role was politicised and very cynically so by Gillard.

Well might Gillard be re-writing history and buffing up her dark image. It is damned pity that the exasperated taxpayer has to be so generous in providing such golden handshakes as an office (along with Rudd she claimed two didn't she, but was knocked back), staff and travel to revisit their parliamentary records.

Labor's Mark Latham was right about the 'Progressive' career politicians who infest Labor, their social concern and morality are all B.S. and gay marriage and playing the fool in the Parliament are far more important than the Struggle Streets. Australia's cynical, egocentric and above all else, frivolous, First Womyn PM and her 'Handbag Bit Squad' led that charge.

http://tinyurl.com/p6kts6c

no calls of misogyny from the sisterhod? What a surprise. Every incompetency and lie Gillard told was because of misogyny.

Because of past misdemeanors is no excuse for current misdemeanors especially when you are caught out. Bishops arrogance comes through like a light house beacon.
Entitlements have to be made public, so the people that employ these people are held account. Acts of piggery are not acceptable, and Bishop has committed one of the worst in history, her sword awaits.
We have money leaching into the hands of acquaintances for personal reasons, hardly inline with Hockey’s predictions.
Hockey says we are in dire straits as to our debt burden, which stood at 250 B $ when Abbott took over, does anybody know where we are now.

otb,

You chose to leave out the main points the author
was making in the article I cited earlier and you
as usual, only wanted to quote the bits that suit you.
Now you have the audacity to accuse me of what in fact
you are doing. You have more front than Bronwyn Bishop.
But you keep right at it - you're doing such a good job.

Also using derogatory terms to refer to our political
leaders and their parties is a perfect way for someone
of your capabilities - to argue.
You certainly know how to lift the bar in all discussions
down to your level.

You also happen to be so observant.

Fancy your noticing that -

Harry Jenkins and Anna Burke
decided to distance themselves from their party in order to
protect the dignity of the Speaker's office.

You picked up on the author's explanation that - compared with the determination of
Jenkins and Burke to make the Speaker's role as impartial as
possible, Mrs Bishop's flagrant tribalism is particularly
shocking to political observers. And you didn't miss the
fact that it was pointed out that
Mrs Bishop has always been a political warrior, more like
the politicians of old. That - she is not like Jenkins or Burke.

Well done!

Foxy,

"...Mrs Bishop's flagrant tribalism is particularly
shocking to political observers..."

Ain't that the truth!

Commentators from both sides are dumbstruck by this Speaker's overt bias.

We've never seen anything like it before - and it's an indictment on our system that there is no mechanism to remove such a blatant partisan from her role.