Former speaker Bronwyn Bishop has jumped to the defence of Sussan Ley, accusing socialists of tearing her down and arguing that double standards exist for women and men in politics.

Ms Bishop, who was herself forced to resign after claiming $5227 in taxpayer-funded expenses for a helicopter ride to a Liberal Party fundraiser, said Ms Ley's critics were ideologically motivated and fuelled by the "Twitterati" and 24-hour news.

Ms Ley stood aside as Health Minister on Monday morning pending the outcome of an investigation into her travel claims, following revelations she bought an $800,000 apartment on a taxpayer-funded trip to Gold Coast and has taken 27 flights in and out of the area in recent years, including two for New Year's Eve engagements.

Ms Bishop said that she didn't have specific knowledge of how Ms Ley's travel was arranged "but I do know that there are socialists out there who want to attack free enterprise and anyone who sticks up for it. And I know that socialists, like alcoholics, will blame anyone but themselves. And whereas alcoholics can damage their own families, socialists can destroy the whole country."