Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Speaker Bronwyn Bishop will almost certainly face a no-confidence motion when Parliament resumes despite belatedly apologising for chartering a taxpayer funded private helicopter ride, with the opposition dismissing her contrition as too little, too late and insincere.
After refusing to apologise for three weeks, a contrite and meek Mrs Bishop staged a full mea culpa on Thursday but refused to resign as Speaker, a day after senior ministers said she was considering her position and consulting her colleagues.
Mrs Bishop has until now defiantly stared down three weeks of relentless pressure to apologise and stand down, ever since it was revealed she chartered a $5000 helicopter ride to travel 100 kilometres from Melbourne to a Liberal party fundraiser in Geelong.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Mrs Bishop's position as Speaker remained untenable and both she and Prime Minister Tony Abbott had failed a crucial test of leadership.
"Mrs Bishop is apologising to save her job, Mrs Bishop is not apologising because she understands she's done anything wrong," he said.
"They've been dragged kicking and screaming to a forced apology with no understanding or comprehension of what they've done wrong."
Mr Shorten said the forced apology further weakened her position has Speaker.
"I think that the fact that Mrs Bishop's been brought to some form of reluctant apology, in order to save her job, shows Australians know, a lot of her colleagues know and Labor believes that her position as Speaker is untenable," he said.
Asked if he would move a no-confidence motion in the Speaker when Parliament resumes in August, Mr Shorten said: "I don't think anyone has confidence in her any more."
The Speaker had already agreed to refund taxpayers but repeatedly refused to apologise until today.
On Thursday, Mrs Bishop said she would also repay travel entitlements claimed to attend the weddings of two Liberal colleagues, Sophie Mirabella and Teresa Gambaro, in 2006 and 2007, and any others that she finds after going back over her records.
It was reported by News Corp on Wednesday night that Mrs Bishop had also claimed $320 in expenses for attending the wedding of Liberal powerbroker Michael Kroger in 1999.
"I am going back through our records and whatever I find that relates to a wedding will be repaid," Mrs Bishop said.
Despite previously insisting her travel could be claimed because it coincided with secret independently conducted parliamentary committee work, Mrs Bishop said she accepted it did not look good.
"I am so apologetic to the Australian people for letting them down and l will be working very hard to make sure that things are right," she told reporters in Sale, Victoria.
Asked why it had taken her three weeks to say sorry Mrs Bishop replied: "I wish it hadn't done."
Where were you @tpwkelly Showing Bronny highlights of Cafe 3847 Rosedale - great shop, thanks Jenny #lovegippsland pic.twitter.com/ArRYVDkOaS— Darren Chester MP (@DarrenChesterMP)
July 30, 2015
She insisted her apology was genuine and her own decision and said opposition and crossbench MPs were entitled to bring forward a no-confidence motion in the House when Parliament returns.
Lower house crossbenchers Clive Palmer and Andrew Wilkie are also threatening to introduce a motion of no-confidence in the Speaker.
A motion would be unlikely to succeed because the government has a 14-seat majority.
Mr Palmer posted a bizarre video to social media wishing the Speaker "goodbye" in a bid to encourage people to sign a petition urging Mrs Bishop to quit.
