From The Australian, Bronwyn Bishop has apologised for “choppergate”:
Mrs Bishop, interviewed by 2GB’s Alan Jones today, insisted she was technically “right” to claim the benefits although she was sorry they did “not look right”.
“I want to apologise to the Australian people for my error of judgment and to say sorry,” the Speaker said.
“I am a strong woman, Alan, but I love this country and I feel very, very sorry that I’ve let the Australian people down.
“Therefore I will be working very hard to ensure that I can again make sure that things are being done and look right as well as being right.”
Dennis Shanahan sums up everything that is wrong with this:
Bronwyn Bishop should be gone as Speaker but she’s not. The hard-core, right-wing, conservative Liberal warrior who could smile in an abattoir has done wrong: she has admitted it.
Liberal Party members, MPs and cabinet ministers are furious at the open display of Bishop’s “sense of entitlement”, the distraction she is proving to be from Coalition positives and the traction she is providing to Labor’s attacks.
…Why then is she still in her job and why hasn’t she stepped aside from her position, at least while the helicopter flight is investigated? The simple answer is that she has the sure support of Tony Abbott as a friend and factional ally, as well as hardliners who are convinced the issue will “blow over” and don’t want to hand Labor a scalp.
Another terrible “captain’s call” then but that is not the major point to make. Shanahan is illustrative only because his tirade against Bronny is framed as a threat to Liberal Party rule, which is completely besides the point.
Bronwyn Bishop should resign because she has misused public funds and in the Westminster system of democracy leaders resign when they stuff up this badly to protect the integrity of rule.
Bishop should resign for Australia. That the Libs and their supporters can’t see this is a sad spectacle indeed.
