It was a short, albeit spectacular, trip – and one that Bronwyn Bishop should look back on with deep regret, for it ought to cost her dearly.
For now, Mrs Bishop appears oblivious: as recently as Thursday she was still claiming she had broken no official parliamentary rule when she chartered a helicopter, at taxpayers' expense, to travel from Melbourne to Geelong in November last year to attend a Liberal Party fundraiser. Indeed, in the context of Mrs Bishop's burgeoning expense account and her continual abuse of the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives, she may well find the fuss over the chopper trip completely mystifying.
Let's clarify matters then. This is that one indiscretion, Mrs Bishop, that single, unmistakeable episode that captures the public imagination – and which makes your position untenable.
As the Speaker of the House of Representatives, it is Mrs Bishop's role to set an example of fairness and propriety to her fellow members of Parliament, and to represent those values to the community at large for the greater benefit of the institution.
That $5227 chopper charter – to appear at a Liberal Party fundraising event, let's remember – demonstrated that not only is Mrs Bishop devoid of a properly functioning moral compass, in her belief that she was entitled to such a disgracefully excessive luxury, but that she is incapable of demonstrating the standards of propriety we expect from occupants of her position.
This is not the first time serious doubts have been raised about Mrs Bishop's lack of understanding of the onerous obligations of the role of Speaker. Last year, she spent $309,000 on overseas travel, including $88,000 on a two-week trip to Europe that was, in part, in pursuit of a plum job. As one source familiar with the trip told The Age: "I just don't know how the hell she could spend so much."
Time and again, Mrs Bishop has demonstrated that she has little regard for the important principle that the Speaker, while normally selected from within the governing party, should seek to act impartially while in the position. The parliamentary website says: "Members are entitled to expect that [the Speaker's] functions will be carried out impartially." In this regard, Mrs Bishop's performance in the chair has been poor. She has set new records for ejecting opposition members – her tally at last count stood at 400 (Labor) to seven (Coalition).
Mrs Bishop is also, clearly, comfortable championing the Coalition cause while Speaker. The helicopter flight, paid for on the Speaker's expense account, was to attend a Liberal Party fundraising function. She has also been criticised, rightly, for hosting fundraising events in her Speaker's suite in Parliament House. When called to account, Mrs Bishop has typically reacted poorly. "There is nothing illegal about it," a spokesperson said when questioned about the use of the Speaker's suite. The initial explanation for the helicopter charter was similarly inadequate: it apparently allowed her to "meet commitments" and was "within entitlements and in accordance with parliamentary guidelines". When she finally agreed to pay back the money, she did not admit any wrongdoing, saying she believed the flight was within the rules and she was making a refund to "avoid any doubt". The point, of course, was not whether Mrs Bishop can wriggle through vaguely-drafted parliamentary rules, but that she still saw no issue with maximising her entitlement.
Finally, there is the small matter of hypocrisy. Has the Coalition forgotten its campaign to have Peter Slipper removed as Speaker over $900 in misused Cabcharges? Mrs Bishop has failed the office of Speaker. She should resign.