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| Bronwyn Bishop apologises for 'error of judgment' over travel claims | Bronwyn Bishop apologises for 'error of judgment' over travel claims |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Bronwyn Bishop has apologised for misusing taxpayer dollars, but insists she will not relinquish her role, as Labor warns that she has lost the respect of Parliament and the public. | Bronwyn Bishop has apologised for misusing taxpayer dollars, but insists she will not relinquish her role, as Labor warns that she has lost the respect of Parliament and the public. |
| On Thursday morning, Bishop told Macquarie Radio that she was sorry for using a helicopter to travel between Melbourne and Geelong for a Liberal party fundraiser. | On Thursday morning, Bishop told Macquarie Radio that she was sorry for using a helicopter to travel between Melbourne and Geelong for a Liberal party fundraiser. |
| “I want to apologise to the Australian people for my error of judgment and to say sorry,” Bishop told commentator Alan Jones. | “I want to apologise to the Australian people for my error of judgment and to say sorry,” Bishop told commentator Alan Jones. |
| Related: Bronwyn Bishop's fate determined by media more than parliamentary scrutiny I Lenore Taylor | Related: Bronwyn Bishop's fate determined by media more than parliamentary scrutiny I Lenore Taylor |
| “You know, that helicopter, yes, I was short of time. But it is no excuse, and it was an error of judgment. And really, as I said, I want to apologise to the Australian people, becauseI feel I’ve let them down.” | “You know, that helicopter, yes, I was short of time. But it is no excuse, and it was an error of judgment. And really, as I said, I want to apologise to the Australian people, becauseI feel I’ve let them down.” |
| She said she would repay the cost of flights to two weddings of Liberal party colleagues. | She said she would repay the cost of flights to two weddings of Liberal party colleagues. |
| “I’ll be paying back all expenses relating to weddings, because, while technically in the rules, it just doesn’t look right,” she said. | “I’ll be paying back all expenses relating to weddings, because, while technically in the rules, it just doesn’t look right,” she said. |
| Bishop admitted she should have apologised sooner, but pledged: “I won’t be resigning”. | |
| “I’ve asked the prime minister to ask the Department of Finance to check all my expenses. I really feel that I have disappointed and let down the Australian people, and I want to apologise to them,” she said. | |
| That was not enough to satisfy the opposition leader, Bill Shorten. | |
| “If Bronwyn Bishop was genuinely sorry, she would not have waited nearly three weeks to say so,” he said. “There’s a difference between saying sorry because you mean it and saying sorry because you’re about to get the sack. She’s only saying sorry to save her job.” | |
| Pressure on the Speaker to resign has been mounting since she was forced to repay more than $5,200 earlier this month for using a helicopter to travel between Melbourne and Geelong for a Liberal party fundraiser. | Pressure on the Speaker to resign has been mounting since she was forced to repay more than $5,200 earlier this month for using a helicopter to travel between Melbourne and Geelong for a Liberal party fundraiser. |
| That revelation caused the prime minister, Tony Abbott, to put her on “probation”. | That revelation caused the prime minister, Tony Abbott, to put her on “probation”. |
| Since then, it has been revealed that she claimed travel expenses and flights on two separate occasions to attend the weddings of parliamentary colleagues Sophie Mirabella and Teresa Gambaro. | Since then, it has been revealed that she claimed travel expenses and flights on two separate occasions to attend the weddings of parliamentary colleagues Sophie Mirabella and Teresa Gambaro. |
| On Wednesday, Bishop dug in over the ongoing expenses scandals, despite the looming prospect of a no-confidence motion brought forward by crossbenchers Clive Palmer and Andrew Wilkie when Parliament resumes next month. | On Wednesday, Bishop dug in over the ongoing expenses scandals, despite the looming prospect of a no-confidence motion brought forward by crossbenchers Clive Palmer and Andrew Wilkie when Parliament resumes next month. |
| Related: The dog ate Bronwyn Bishop's travel expenses homework – twice | Related: The dog ate Bronwyn Bishop's travel expenses homework – twice |
| “The Speaker is not resigning,” a spokesman told Guardian Australia. | “The Speaker is not resigning,” a spokesman told Guardian Australia. |
| Bishop insisted that she had meetings relating to her role as chair of the standing committee on families and human services around the time of the weddings, but has refused to say who with, or give other details. | Bishop insisted that she had meetings relating to her role as chair of the standing committee on families and human services around the time of the weddings, but has refused to say who with, or give other details. |
| Shorten, told ABC Radio on Thursday morning that the Speaker’s position was untenable. | |
| “We think that if the Speaker is still in the chair at the time of Parliament, that the people will no longer have confidence in the Parliament,” Shorten said. “There’s no doubt that the Speaker has lost the confidence of the opposition, but more importantly, I think she’s lost the respect of the Australian people.” | “We think that if the Speaker is still in the chair at the time of Parliament, that the people will no longer have confidence in the Parliament,” Shorten said. “There’s no doubt that the Speaker has lost the confidence of the opposition, but more importantly, I think she’s lost the respect of the Australian people.” |
| Shorten expects that a new Speaker will be chosen before Parliament resumes. “I don’t see how the government can keep propping up the situation any further.” | Shorten expects that a new Speaker will be chosen before Parliament resumes. “I don’t see how the government can keep propping up the situation any further.” |
| He said he did not understand how Coalition MPs could “in all self-respect vote to keep her” as Speaker if a vote of no-confidence arose. | He said he did not understand how Coalition MPs could “in all self-respect vote to keep her” as Speaker if a vote of no-confidence arose. |
| “I think the Parliament will be very, very compromised,” he warned. | “I think the Parliament will be very, very compromised,” he warned. |
| Wilkie has vowed to continue with the no-confidence motion, despite Bishop’s apology. Earlier on Thursday, he had complained about the Speaker’s lack of contrition. | |
| “Bronwyn Bishop is not a fit person to hold the office of Speaker,” he told ABC Radio. | |
| Liberal backbencher Zed Seselja has backed the Speaker. | |
| “I’m certainly not going to jump on the bandwagon and the witchhunt that is going after Bronwyn Bishop, I simply won’t do it,” he told Sky News. | |
| He said he was satisfied with the apology and the promise to pay back the money. | |
| “I’m not sure what more she can do in those circumstances,” he said. | |
| The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, said that Bishop “did the right thing” in making the apology. | |
| “There are no crooks in politics, in my judgment,” he told Macquarie Radio. People make mistakes on both sides [of the chamber].” |