What a joke, otb.

"You are attacking the messenger....."

Which is exactly what the govt did to Triggs - something about which you apparently don't have a problem.

The "baying mob" included MSM - and particularly Murdoch's MSM.

But with Bishop, we're talking about an alleged abuse of entitlements on a massive scale.

And what's this?

"It is rather obvious from examples like Slipper and others that the ones who were most vocal in demanding that Bishop resign applied a very different standard where allegations against 'their' (wo)men are concerned. Hypocrisy."

Let's cut to the chase.

Howard was forced to sack quite a few members because of entitlement issues. Minchin came up with a protocol to fix that so that members could be quietly nudged to pay back monies - like Abbott was ordered to do over his $9,000 book tour. When the govt sought to get at Slipper, they reported him directly to the AFP. Finance said they couldn't apply the Minchin Protocol because he had been reported to directly to the AFP.

In Bishop's case, she too was reported directly to the AFP by Labor. However, in actions that were the polar opposite of those applied to Slipper, the AFP bounced her case straight back to Finance.

Which is a farce.

Abbott, also contrary to his view on Slipper, is now shrieking that it's the system which led to Bronnie's downfall. Which is bollocks - no-one forced Bishop to allegedly sign off expenses as official when they were private. The guidelines are already very clear on that.

Bishop knew exactly what she was doing....just that she thought she could get away with it.

Here's the kind of faith Coalition MPs have in the judgement of their leader.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/aug/02/coalition-mps-demand-proper-say-on-next-speaker-as-bronwyn-bishop-quits

"Coalition MPs are demanding a real say in the selection of a new Speaker after the embattled Bronwyn Bishop finally resigned to end the expenses scandal paralysing the Abbott government.

Bishop was Tony Abbott’s “captain’s pick” for the job after the 2013 election victory, but MPs say a return to a Coalition party room ballot for the position, and the selection of a new Speaker seen as truly independent, would help repair the damage the government has sustained over the affair."

"Technically the Speaker is elected by the House of Representatives, but the government’s numbers mean its nomination will get the job. During the Howard years the Coalition nomination was on occasions decided by a Coalition party room ballot."

I can't put it any better than Laura Tingle.

"It wasn't Bronny. It was the system. Seriously, Prime Minister?"

http://www.afr.com/news/politics/it-wasnt-bronnie-it-was-the-system-seriously-prime-minister-20150802-gipuh6?stb=twt

"If only the man was not serious.

The outrage spawned by revelations that the now former Speaker Bronwyn Bishop has, for years, liked to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous – on us – was made more potent than the usual outrage at politicians abusing their taxpayer entitlements for two reasons.

The first was the obviously egregious hypocrisy of Bishop's lifestyle choices at a time when the government had hit most taxpayers with big cuts in spending in its first budget.

The second was Bishop's brazen refusal to backdown and the arrogance of both her – and the Prime Minister – in thinking that they could somehow just ride the storm out.

His government has been bleeding and immobilised for weeks by an ongoing controversy over a stubborn old woman with entitlement issues.

His prime ministerial authority has been emasculated by an apparent inability or incapacity to take on an ideological and political patron.

The Prime Minister has effectively been forced into hiding. The momentum the government was beginning to enjoy with Bill Shorten in trouble evaporated.

But Tony Abbott emerged on Sunday not to announce the Speaker's resignation but a 'root and branch' review of the system.

It wasn't Bronny. It was the system that was the problem. Seriously, Prime Minister?

Bishop's brazenness has now been matched by the Prime Minister's, except he doesn't quite have her reserves of chutzpah.

As a result, his announcement on Sunday will not make the problem go away, even if Bishop is leaving the Speaker's chair (still not making any concessions as she goes). His response casts further doubt on his political judgment and political management skills.

For implicit in the Prime Minister's statement is the idea that Bronwyn Bishop, who has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last couple of decades swanning around in limousines and swanky hotels and helicopters while berating public servants over wasted expenditure, was within her rights – or the rules."

LOL, Laura Tingle doesn't appear to have read that ANAO Report either. See here,

onthebeach, Sunday, 2 August 2015 11:31:25 AM
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=6930&page=46

Gillian Triggs should also do the right thing and resign.
See here,
onthebeach, Sunday, 2 August 2015 10:24:27 PM
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=6930&page=48

Both Triggs and Bishop have become controversial figures in themselves and have lost all confidence of large sections of the Parliament and the Australian public. To preserve any vestiges of public trust in the offices they occupied, both needed to resign out of ethics and principle, but only one did.

Gillian Triggs should be considering the Speaker's resignation very carefully and taking it as a lesson for herself.

Hi Poirot, what Abbott said is like Dennis Denuto: In summing up, it’s the constitution, it’s Mabo, it’s justice, it’s law, it’s the vibe, and…no that’s it…it’s the vibe. I rest my case.

Its anyone and anything but Bishop.

As for what she had to say "I have not taken this decision lightly, however it is because of my love and respect for the institution of Parliament and the Australian people that I have resigned as Speaker."
A load of insincere clap-trap from a pompous serial abuser. enough to make one sick.

Give it up, otb.

Nice try...but what's a class act like Gillian Triggs got to do with an entitled rorting Speaker who had to be blasted out of her position with gelignite?

It seems that karma decided to take its gloves off when Bronnie shamelessly trolled Triggs on QandA.

Why don't you address Bronnie's massive and consistent rorts?

You know - the "rorts" which Bronnie undertook with the ultimate of gay abandon - the subject of this thread.