Oh dear...another wedding....another claim for travel expenses "written off as “committee chair business”."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/speaker-bronwyn-bishop-charged-taxpayers-to-attend-a-wedding-as-questions-asked-over-albury-trip/story-fni0fit3-1227460141952?utm_content=SocialFlow&utm_campaign=EditorialSF&utm_source=HeraldSun&utm_medium=Twitter

"EMBATTLED Speaker Bronwyn Bishop has again been caught out — charging taxpayers to attend a wedding.

As pressure mounts for her removal, the Herald Sun can reveal Ms Bishop hit the public purse for $288 in travel allowance to stay in Brisbane on the night of MP Teresa Gambaro’s wedding in April 2007.

The latest revelation comes as parliamentary colleagues cast doubt over the legitimacy of her charging taxpayers for $600 flights to Albury in 2006."

"Ms Bishop was one of 180 guests, including then prime minister John Howard, to attend Ms Gambaro’s wedding to Robert Duffy at St Lucia Golf Links in Brisbane in 2007.

Travel expenses records show she claimed $288 for a one-night stay in Brisbane on the same day, for committee chair business.

It is unclear whether Ms Bishop also charged for her flights. as those details are not readily available to the public."

Here we go...

"Julie Bishop says Bronwyn Bishop is considering her position amid speculation the Labor party will use the resumption of Parliament to disrupt question time as part of the fallout from the Speaker's use of taxpayers entitlements.

This came as News Corp reported on Wednesday that Bronwyn Bishop claimed travel allowance to attend federal Liberal MP Teresa Gambaro's wedding in 2007.

The Foreign Minister's comments declining to support the Speaker are significant given her position as Deputy Liberal Leader and that she is considered an ally of Ms Bishop's."

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/speaker-bronwyn-bishop-is-considering-her-position-amid-expenses-scandal-julie-bishop-20150728-giml2e.html#ixzz3hEAABsEl

Hi Poirot, I am surprised, I thought these days Bronnie is the Liberal Parties "Nigel No Friends", even Tone wants to divorce his political mummy.
I think we were wrong about Bronnie and all those weddings she attends, she actually wasn't invited, just turned up for the taxpayer funded free nosh up!

I'm still waiting for one of the 'Usual Suspects' to post at least one achievement of Bishop's in all the years she has been in the parliament. Bishop was the incompetent minister in charge during the notorious 'Kerosene Bath Scandal' at Riverside nursing home.

BRONWYN BISHOP, MINISTER FOR AGED CARE: "When I heard of this incident of frail Australians, elderly Australians, being bathed in a bath of kerosene to get rid of an alleged attack of scabies, I couldn't believe my ears."
Bishop was made aware of a "problem" at the home but failed to act, for 12 months before hand the incompetent minister had been made aware of "problems" in aged care facilities, but she had failed to act . Should have jumped a helicopter and shot over to Riverside and other places herself and checked it out, however she was not to busy to feed of the taxpayer.

Paul,

yes...here's a good tag line:

"The dog ate Bronwyn Bishop's travel expenses homework – twice"

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jul/29/the-dog-ate-bronwyn-bishops-travel-expenses-homework-twice?CMP=soc_568

"It sounds like the dog ate Bronwyn Bishop’s homework – twice. Even senior Liberals are having terrible trouble defending her.

First she claimed $600 in flights to Albury on the same weekend in 2006 as colleague Sophie Mirabella’s nearby wedding, because, she says, she had a secret meeting with an unnamed person late on a Friday afternoon regarding a parliamentary committee inquiry into balancing work and family life.

Fellow committee members were not told about the meeting, did not approve the travel and do not remember hearing anything that Bishop, the committee chair, gleaned from her conveniently-timed discussion.

It’s hard to imagine what aspect of work/life balance could be so sensitive as to require such secrecy and discretion, harder still to imagine why it would have to remain secret nine years later."

I hear Turnbull's been trolling the situation and tweeting his rides on public transport...Lol!

She's a goner - I reckon it'll all be over for Bronnie as Speaker before the resumption of parliament.

Paul,

Poll in the Sydney Morning Herald:

"Poll: Do you accept Bronwyn Bishop's explanation for her claim of $600 in return flights the weekend of Sophie Mirabella's wedding?"

Yes - 1%

No - 99%

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/speaker-bronwyn-bishop-is-considering-her-position-amid-expenses-scandal-julie-bishop-20150728-giml2e.html#ixzz3hEvsGELD

Again, is anyone suggesting that Bronwyn Bishop did anything illegal? Or that the administering department did not accept the claim?

The tabloids, the political spin masters (both sides) and the hysterical Twitterati are all peeing on a shrub, while denying the existence of the very large swamp behind, which are the wide-open, hazy and complex provisions and arrangements for political entitlements that are apparently designed to allow politicians to stretch the envelope and abuse the system.

It is precisely that, that should be the target of the critics, assuming of course that they might some day consider some accountability where politicians' entitlements are concerned, some much-needed productivity in both houses of the Parliament, and the forever forgotten public good (particularly getting some value for money for those dollars taken compulsorily form taxpayers).

It is very sorry indeed that there is no discussion nor interest in implementing the recommendations of the ANAO Report that was presented to both houses of Parliament (see my previous posts and link).

Who is representing the public interest in this? NO champion for change, no much-needed statesman or stateswoman has emerged. However there are plenty past and present politicians who would much prefer to have a fall guy and then sweep it all under the carpet, so they can carry on with those valued wide open conditions and an excuse that the toothless employees they boss, the public servants, have allowed them their claims.