The race for the next Speaker is hotting up with Victorian MPs Tony Smith and Russell Broadbent as well as South Australia's Andrew Southcott tipped as the front runners. But why is it such a coveted job?
One former Senate President, a role on the same level as Speaker, Margaret Reid, famously flew 691,000 kilometre on the taxpayer purse - enough to send her to the moon and back - costing the public $345,000 in her six years. Not to be outdone, just last year, Mrs Bishop took six overseas trips, costing $308,961.14 Speaker
Sydney Investor
Luke Foley calls on Mike Baird to replace Helen Coonan over alleged potential -conflict of interest at Sydney harbour foreshore authority
Labor's waste watch spokesman Pat Conroy said Mrs Bishop was "in a world of her own if she thinks this is acceptable". "This is adding insult to injury for Australians who are understandably outraged about 'choppergate'," he said. "If she still has the audacity to be taking home the Speaker's salary after all this, Australians won't stand for that." Mrs Bishop's staff are still working out of the Speaker's suite, five days after she announced she was quitting. The development comes after Fairfax Media revealed Mrs Bishop would retire on a taxpayer-funded pension of $255,000 plus 10 free domestic return flights a year if she were to quit Parliament at the next election. Speaker Safa ...
Harry Jenkins and Brendan Nelson in entitlements
Harry Jenkins and Brendan Nelson in entitlements
IT would almost be a beautiful love story if it wasn’t part of such an extraordinary scandal. The matchmaking taxpayers of Australia have unwittingly sponsored a series of luxurious European jaunts that may have allowed love to blossom between MP Tony Burke and his then chief of staff, Skye Laris Burke
Luke Foley calls on Mike Baird to replace Helen Coonan over alleged potential -conflict of interest at Sydney harbour foreshore authority