As many have observed recently, the Bishop appointment had been wrong-headed in 2013. Performing to type, her aggressive approach became a net political negative for the government lending the 44th parliament a rancorous, dysfunctional edge. It can't have been easy for Tony Abbott to ease out his mentor Bronwyn Bishop. At least now, the Prime Minister has taken charge. But his tawdry, wilful mismanagement of this issue raises serious questions over his political judgment. Three weeks into a crisis which has noticeably crippled his government, Abbott has at last acknowledged what almost everyone else had known from the start. That it is not tenable to have the parliament's most senior officer, its chief guardian of standards, outed as its most egregious abuser of privileges. Bishop's refusal to apologise for her helicopter indulgence, and others, on the public purse, should have immediately brought her undone. Indeed, the abuse was enough in itself, quite apart from her cavalier response.

That MPs think taxpayers should be subsidising their fund-raising efforts through generous travel allowances is astounding. Now that Bishop has been de-throned, two questions demand answers. According to which index of ethical governance did Team Abbott ever conclude her behaviour would be tolerated by voters who are otherwise being asked to tighten their belts, do more with less, etc? And secondly, what will Abbott do now to facilitate a recovery of public confidence? The first issue goes to Abbott's political antennae. He, of course, was among the most frequent critics of Julia Gillard's mercurial "judgment". Gillard hated the gibe because she knew it went to her suitability for leadership. Yet Abbott now faces the same entry-level question. If instantly breaking election promises, elevating just one woman to a 19-member cabinet, and knighting a Buck Palace royal did not raise doubts, then effectively condoning the abuse of trust represented by his shamelessly partisan speaker, justifies the query.

On the second question, Abbott should now be given credit for the root and branch review of entitlements announced on Sunday. It is the right way to go and is long overdue. Loading Easing out his mentor cannot have been pleasant. But that's leadership and this particular trial is only half-complete. A pass mark from voters turns on whether the replacement speaker is another hyper-partisan prime ministerial favourite, or an MP with broad cross-chamber support.