Bronwyn Bishop has done the only tenable thing – she’s now agreed to pay back the costs associated with her ill-judged $5,227.27 helicopter ride to Geelong to attend a party fundraiser last November.



Bishop’s position in defending the travel claim was completely indefensible, both politically and practically – notwithstanding the mildly ambiguous nature of the parliamentary entitlements rules.

But Madam Speaker, being Madam Speaker, clearly did not go down without a fight.

In a short statement issued on Thursday afternoon, Bishop contended the travel last November was conducted within the rules. This particular reimbursement was to avoid “any doubt”.

Ah, no.

The reimbursement was not, in fact, about avoiding doubt – it was about shutting down a story that had managed, rather inconveniently, to knock Bill Shorten’s political woes off the front page and out of the TV news bulletins.

From the moment the Labor leader stood up on Thursday morning and started painting word pictures about Madam Speaker flying above the people, that arrogant Bronwyn having a laugh at your expense, up there in the clouds, chortling all the way to the Liberal party fundraiser, Madam Speaker was going to have to give the taxpayer their $5,227.27 back.

Because if Madam Speaker didn’t give the taxpayer their $5,227.27 back, things were going to get a whole lot worse for Madam Speaker, and a whole lot more uncomfortable for the Abbott government.

Bishop has made herself visible on the perks front by running up a travel tab of $456,620 since becoming the Speaker of the House of Representatives. That includes travel allowance, overseas travel, domestic scheduled fares, charter fares and car costs. It’s quite a generous figure.

She’s also come under fire for using the Speaker’s suite for Liberal party fundraising – it’s not illegal, but it’s a significant departure from contemporary custom and practice.

Joe Hockey fails to back Bishop when asked about the helicopter ride on 2UE radio on Thursday Guardian

Voters can take all kinds of slings and arrows from Canberra with a light shrug. But honest hardworking folks are absolutely red hot about politicians’ lurks and perks.

Australian politics at present does an excellent job of conveying the impression that the vocation is about “me” first and “you” a very poor second – and travel entitlements provides a tangible focal point for voter resentment. People pushing the boundaries of entitlements reinforces people’s worst perceptions of politicians.

It’s hard to think of a more potent image to stir that resentment than Bronwyn Bishop hovering in a helicopter above Geelong, cruising in to the Clifton Springs golf club like she’s arriving at a summit at Camp David.

The Hon. Bronwyn Bishop MP, ade a spectacular arrival at Clifton Springs Golf Club on Wednesday November 5th. pic.twitter.com/t5Nqv53HKx — Neil Remeeus (@NeilRemeeus) November 6, 2014

While the Bishop statement is a gesture at shutting the whole circus down, a couple of questions remain.

Apparently Bishop will pay the fine in addition to repaying the costs of the charter. Repaid parliamentary expenses now attract a 25% penalty loading.

But are there related travel expenses that will also need repaying? And a bigger question – is this the end of the imbroglio, will parliamentarians revert to their usual form of not throwing rocks in the glass house of parliamentary entitlements – or is there more to come?