Having recognised this, and presumably advised Bishop on the course she would reluctantly take, Abbott could not bring himself to criticise her conduct on Sunday, which made for an awkward and unconvincing appearance before the cameras. Prime Minister Tony Abbott addresses the media on Sunday. Credit:Louie Douvis 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. No, as he described it, the disconnect was between the rules governing the entitlements of MPs and community expectations. Clearly his judgment on this matter is clouded by his loyalty to a friend. Just like Bishop's explanation for chartering a chopper from Melbourne to Geelong, at a cost to taxpayers of $5000 to attend a party fundraiser, Abbott's reasoning would not pass the pub test.

Of course, rules are important, and another review of those governing entitlements is justified. But the key issue here was the presiding officer of the House of Representatives acting in a way utterly at odds with the government's mantra that "the age of entitlement is over, and the age of personal responsibility has begun". 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. How could she, if she was constantly pushing the envelope when it came to accommodation and mode of transport? Repeatedly, Abbott insisted this was not an issue about individuals, but about a system that would now be comprehensively revamped. Repeatedly, he failed to answer the obvious question: If she had done no wrong, why was she resigning? The closest he got was a vague assertion that she had "done the right thing" to avoid the system being brought into disrepute.

The reality is not only that her conduct sucked all the oxygen from the government's attempts to sell its messages for almost three weeks, but that it had reflected badly on all MPs, the government, and the Prime Minister. Not only did she take the pressure off Bill Shorten when he was the one being scrutinised, she handed the Opposition Leader a dream brief to prosecute and he grasped it with relish. Having split the government and distracted the Prime Minister, Bishop's presence promised to paralyse the Parliament if she refused to quit. Loading Now she has gone, and another captain's pick has unravelled, just like the "signature" paid parental leave scheme and the knighthood for Prince Philip, but not a moment too soon.