IF John Howard had taken seriously the attempt Peter Andren made to set clear guidelines for ministers’ travel expenses when he was prime minister, today’s government would not be involved in the present controversy over the Speaker’s travel claims.
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The prime minister and other members of the house accused Peter of grandstanding, muckraking and were quite insulting in their speeches in the house.
However, Peter stood all the insults and kept pressing for an inquiry. In the end Mr Howard called for an inquiry into the travel claims but in a form that could not bring a binding result.
However, since then a number of politicians have had to pay back money that was wrongly claimed, and one actually served a prison term for false claims.
Peter Andren was an honest independent member of Parliament who had his electorate first and foremost, and by the increasing majority in the elections the electorate trusted him.
Charles Everett,
Orange
