Is it time to rethink how the speaker is chosen, what behaviour is accepted in the role and how question time is conducted? Every parliament struggles with the speaker's role as laid down by convention and political self-interest. Unlike in Britain, the constitution makes no mention of an independent speaker. Even though the speaker pledges impartiality, his or her background in the majority party creates risks that snowball when political allegiances are allowed to grow or be cemented during the speaker's tenure. It does not help that the current parliament has inherited the acrimony of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years when Tony Abbott was a no-holds-barred opposition leader and both sides trashed public perceptions of the speaker through former Liberal-turned-independent Peter Slipper. Ms Bishop and the Abbott government, of which she technically remains a member, could have risen above the mire and restored voter confidence in the chair, question time and the behaviour of politicians.

Instead, Labor has heckled and the Coalition has given as much if not more in return. More than 100 Labor members have been ejected; the first Coalition member was tossed out this week. The government's answers have been just as evasive and as politically charged as its predecessor's were. "Dorothy Dixer" questions from backbenchers to ministers have wasted more time than ever. Video footage has shown the Leader of the House, Christopher Pyne, urging Ms Bishop to silence applause from Labor MPs for their leader Bill Shorten. Ms Bishop's office has been used for a Liberal fund-raising function. We expected better from Ms Bishop, who is a well-respected, senior MP with a respect for the reputation of the House. Granted, her job is almost impossible with the political baggage she brings to it and the way question time is structured. These flaws just compound the deficit of trust in the political process arising from broken promises, questionable use of entitlements and links to allegations of corruption. The worldwide Inter-Parliamentary Union has found 95 per cent of parliaments have an umpire – speaker, president or chairman or woman – who belongs to the majority party. The other 5 per cent can inform debate here about what options are available for reform. The late independent MP for the western NSW seat of Calare in the Federal Parliament, Peter Andren, suggested the speaker could be a retired judge. Some nations draw from a panel of judges.

Defenders of the present system, such as former federal speaker and Liberal MP Neil Andrew, argue external candidates offer no guarantee of impartiality because no one knows how their underlying political beliefs will influence their decisions. If that is to be accepted then surely there is no case for trusting the justice system. Other nations have each state parliament elect an umpire for the federal parliament, to take the role in a rotating six-month roster. In the Australian context, state governors might play a part. At the extreme, a separate popular election for federal speaker could be held, with a list of candidates nominated by a council of eminent people. A less activist reform would still allow the majority party in the House – in practice the prime minister – to nominate the speaker, but the candidate would then resign his or her seat and a byelection would be held. After the speaker's set term, he or she would have to resign from the parliament. The most cited reform option draws on the British independent speaker. On election by a secret ballot of the parliament, he or she must sever all ties with his or her former party. Speakers still stand in general elections but the opposition does not stand a candidate and speakers do not campaign on any political issues. Indeed, when Mr Pyne was asked in 2010 if he was thinking of a similar reform, he said: "Well, that is a good model ..." Opponents of such British-style reform say the smaller Australian House could not afford to lose one member to be speaker. Again, this could be offset by holding a byelection to replace the successful candidate.

In Britain the speaker must also be seen to be completely impartial in all public matters and keep apart from old party colleagues or any one group or interest, In practice, he or she does not frequent the Commons dining rooms or bars. Ms Bishop stressed this week there were historical differences between her role and that of her British counterparts. But the holding of party functions in the Speaker's office surely crosses a line, as do some of the decisions by Ms Bishop in the past eight months. True, as Mr Andrew has argued, "the opposition has a lot to gain by seeking to embarrass the government during question time [so] it tends to be more heated and emotional than when other business is before the House". Nonetheless, there are options to improve the quality of discourse. The then Labor leader Mark Latham proposed in 2004 changes to make ministers "answer the questions and stick to the point". There is room for shortening the time allowed for answers as well. Mr Latham also wanted to curb "Dorothy Dixers". Senate clerk Rosemary Laing has argued that question time "has long ceased to be a vehicle for the provision of information by ministers".

The risk with this debate is that politicians will determine what reform options are pushed. Regrettably, both the Coalition and Labor still place enormous value on the speaker's job because of the power it holds over parliamentary discourse. Peppa Pig caught in Mark Scott's tangled web of ABC cutbacks Once upon a time, times were tough for Tony the farmer and he wanted to raise some money. The obvious target was the runt of his pig litter, whose name was Peppa. She was a red feminist propagandist pig.

But some kids just loved her. So Tony relented and promised not to butcher Peppa. Soon, though, Peppa was sent to Uncle Joe's barn, where Peppa got fat and the knives came out for her again. So Peppa and her friend Mark the Spider had to hatch a plan to save her. "Some pig," Mark wrote in his web for everyone to see. "Terrific … radiant … humble."

All of a sudden Peppa was a big star, her future seemed secure and everyone rejoiced. One day, though, Peppa and her friends in the barn received some worrying news. "I have a feeling I am not going to see the results of last night's efforts," Mark told them. "I don’t feel good at all. I think I'm languishing, to tell you the truth." A few days later, something terrible happened. Mark crawled off and was never seen again. And Joe and Tony lived happily ever after.

* With apologies to E.B. White, author of Charlotte's Web.