I HAD hesitated to write a column on Speaker Bronwyn Bishop’s $5K plus helicopter charter trip from Melbourne to Geelong to attend a party fundraiser because it has received extensive media coverage and commentary, but after giving it some thought I realised that the issue went further than a request for her to stand down.
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In other words, there is a bigger, underlying issue here.
However, before looking at that, a quick re-cap of her big-spending ways, for the $5K chopper ride was not an isolated incident, far from it.
Bronwyn Bishop spent more than $300,000 of taxpayers' dollars on overseas travel in her first year as federal Speaker, culminating in a $90,000 European trip partly aimed at securing her a plum new job abroad.
Madame Bishop spent $178,000 on four major trips in the first half of 2014 and $131,000 on two trips in the latter half — $309,000 in total.
La Bishop's 2014 trip to Italy, Belgium, Austria and Switzerland has stirred particular controversy, for it included a week-long meeting in Geneva of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, of which she was campaigning to become president.
She lost the vote to Bangladesh's candidate, but not before racking up $88,084 in expenses.
How many of us have ever had tax payer funded job application trips?
Or tax payer funded trips to the opera for that matter, for it has been revealed that between 2010 and 2013 she charged us mugs with in excess of $3300 over eight days attending the opera and other arts events, including $1000 a day limousine hires.
However, the real lesson to be learnt from our very own “big spender’s” expensive jaunts is not merely for her to stand down from playing the stern headmistress, and not even for a review of the entitlement rules, but also for the establishment of a National ICAC which would not only investigates corruption at a federal level, but would also advise Members of Parliament on the appropriate use of public money.
The Greens have had a bill to establish a National ICAC before Parliament since May 2014. Now, given the revelations stirred up by Choppergate, the Liberal, National and Labor parties need to support it.
Among other integrity measures, a National ICAC legislation would establish a new Office of the Independent Parliamentary Adviser to advise MPs and Ministers on entitlements claims.
The adviser will also be tasked with developing a legally binding code of conduct for MPs for the Parliament to adopt.
Every state has an anti-corruption commission.
The Federal government is now the only jurisdiction without the infrastructure to confront corruption and properly advise MPs before issues like this arise.
The Australian public has the right to know that public money is being spent appropriately.
