Saturday, August 01, 2015

Bronwyn Bishop entitlements saga continues

The Speaker's office has refused to comment on reports Bronwyn Bishop spent $6,000 chartering a plane for a 160-kilometre trip from Sydney to Nowra last year.

Mrs Bishop was invited to speak at two seniors' forums in the marginal electorate of Gilmore in November and, while she was there, attended two fundraisers for local Liberal MP Ann Sudmalis.

News Corp has reported the private plane cost taxpayers $6,000 but a spokesman for Mrs Bishop would not confirm or deny the report.

"These matters are now being reviewed by the Department of Finance and it would be inappropriate to continue commentary now this process is underway," the statement said.

Labor frontbencher Tony Burke has seized on the report which suggests there is a personal link between Mrs Bishop's office and the charter company she has been using.

"These allegations take this entire saga to a new level, to an absolutely new level," he said.

"What we're talking about now is not simply whether the rules have been broken but whether or not there's an extra layer of completely inappropriate conduct."

Mrs Bishop has been under sustained pressure after it was revealed she spent more than $5,000 chartering a helicopter from Melbourne to Geelong in November to attend a Liberal Party fundraiser.

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