“The public deserves to be absolutely confident taxpayers” money is not being abused.’.
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As Speaker, Bishop’s job was to set an example to all MPs when it comes to minimising the cost to taxpayers and to enforce high standards.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott called a snap media conference on Sunday afternoon to announce the Speaker’s resignation and a major review into MPs entitlements but repeatedly declined to criticise his long time “friend and colleague” over the grandiose use of MPs travel perks.
Mr Abbott said he would hold a review into parliamentary expenses.
Bronwyn Bishop has faced fierce criticism since it emerged last month that she spent more than 5,000 Australian dollars (£2,337) to charter a helicopter for an 80-kilometre (50-mile) trip to a golf course to attend a fundraiser for the ruling Liberal Party, rather than drive the 90-minute route.
But the furore ended when Bishop issued a statement on Sunday explaining her decision.
“It won’t just be tinkering with the system”, he told reporters.
“The system that we have is deficient”.
“What has become apparent…is that the problem is not any particular individual, the problem is the entitlements system more generally”, Mr Abbott said.
“Mr Abbott has blamed the system, but it was Mrs Bishop’s addiction to privilege that was the real culprit”, Shorten said in a statement. “This has obviously been a very hard day for Bronwyn Bishop“.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said last week that if Tony Abbott had not made a “captain’s pick” of Bronwyn Bishop after the 2013 election then someone “respected by all sides like Bruce Scott” would be in the chair.
As the Prime Minister explained it, the disconnect was not between Bishop’s penchant for chartering choppers or hiring limousines to attend freebies and how the public expects its politicians to behave.
The review will be carried out by former finance department head David Tune and head of the Remuneration Tribunal John Conde.
He was relieved by her resignation.
Revelations of her costly travel spending became a growing embarrassment for the Abbott government.
On Wednesday, Independent MP Andrew Wilkie said fellow MP Clive Palmer would move a motion of no confidence and he would second it, if the Speaker did not stand down before parliament resumed on August 10.
“Today, Bronwyn Bishop has done the right thing by the government and the Australian people”, said the Prime Minister, who has also announced that he will hold a review into parliamentary expenses.
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Mrs Bishop initially refused to apologise although agreed to repay the money.
