Bye Bye Bishop

Guest Author Uncategorized

This evening’s Guest Poster is Turn Left, with a neat summary of broomhilda’s brilliant career. Thank you, Turn Left!

(Image Credit: Alan Porritt; AAP)

Machiavelli had some advice for leaders: It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.

When you rule through fear, intimidation and bullying, you maintain power as long as you maintain your reign or terror. When you lose that ability to create fear and become an object of ridicule, it is Game over. People don’t fear what they laugh at. Right now Bronwyn Bishop, the people are laughing.

For Bishop, the ending was as spectacular as the beginning. Her wikipedia page says that Bishop studied law (LLB), which I quote here, in case it gets edited away. Bishop:

undertook a five-year LLB program at the University of Sydney. However, she was deemed ineligible to continue after failing a number of subjects multiple times. Bishop failed a total of 11 subjects over six years. In her first year in 1960, she failed all four core subjects. In 1964, she failed four subjects again, and repeated them in 1965, in which she failed three again. The policy of the University of Sydney at the time was that a student was required to show cause why a student should be allowed to repeat a subject for a third time, and Bishop was deemed ineligible to continue.

Once considered a ‘rock star’ in the Liberal party, Bishop moved from Senate to House of Reps so that she might become Australia’s first female Prime Minister. That plan did not work out, mainly because of her own incompetence.

When Tony Abbott became Prime Minister in 2013, he spared the Bishop the tedium of a Ministry by making her Speaker. After all, her greatest achievement as an Aged Care minister in the Howard Government was ignoring a scandal in an aged care home where a resident was bathed in kerosene which led to the death of the resident.

The Speaker is ostensibly supposed to be independent of a party, yet with a 94A ratio of 400 to 7 in the Government’s favour, it was not so much maintaining order in the House of Reps, as it was, in Tony Burke words “Parliament looks more like a protection racket to protect Tony Abbott … than a place of open and accountable debate”. Throwing people out for laughing, for saying “Madam Speaker”, and refusing to make the government withdraw comments as offensive as comparing Labor policy to the Holocaust, rejecting points of order as irrelevant before they could be made (not a demonstration of prescience with “I anticipated” but a trashing of democracy and a disrespect of every voter and the electorate).

Tony Burke, in the following two speeches, highlighted the grossly incompetent, biased farce that HOR had become under Bishop’s Speakership.

Liberal Speaker, Bronwyn Bishop, grossly incompetent and biased

Speaker Bishop prevents Question about Rinehart, Labor asks: Why The Cover Up?

Like a school marm, with her big book of rules and peering over the top of her glasses on the end of her nose, glaring down the Opposition for daring to make a point of order. Yet, in Bishop’s twilight years she began relying more and more on Christopher Pyne for help as she struggled to maintain order and fulfil her role as Speaker.

Paul Keating once described Bishop as “old acid drop”, but to my mind, Bishop reminds me of the Old Lady in the Grimm Brothers fairy tale, waiting to throw children she decides are being naughty into her oven, for daring to nibble her gingerbread house.

As the Liberal politician told Triple J radio in an interview, “Some are born to rule, some are born to follow. I was born to rule.” Bishop just wasn’t very good at following the rules.

It was this born to rule attitude that brought about her downfall. Ordinary people had a gutfull. Her lack of contrition or acknowledging she did anything wrong fueled the anger among voters. It was the $5,227.27 helicopter trip from Melbourne to a Geelong golf course to attend a party fundraiser known as #Choppergate on social media, and it became the scandal the Liberal party couldn’t ride out.

Bishop didn’t believe she had done anything wrong, thought it was perfectly acceptable to treat the taxpayers of this country as her own personal ATM, (like her 3-week job search in Europe, funded by taxpayers, she arrogantly corrected the accusation she spent $90,000 on limo’s and lunches, with it was only $88,000), she was belligerent when caught out, refused to apologise until 3 weeks after the #Choppergate scandal broke in MSM, and only then begrudgingly on the Alan Jones morning show, as if the only people she thought were worthy of her cringing faux-apology are right-wing talk-back listeners.

Following #Choppergate came revelations that Bishop charged taxpayers to attend the weddings of 3 colleagues – Mirabella, Gambaro and Kroger. This resulted in the frankly ludicrous assertion from Tony Abbott that he was placing Bishop on “probation”. No one could find out what “probation” meant. For someone who has been in parliament nearly 30 years, these extravagant charges are not “errors of judgement” but systematic and deliberate lifestyle choices.

Tony Abbott waved away Bishops rorting with a dismissive “But she paid the money back” (do we have proof of this and does anyone think this makes it okay?). Paying back was an option denied to a previous Speaker, Peter Slipper and his $900 taxi trip, the Liberals used this to set about destroying Slipper, a witchhunt that dragged him through the courts, not only ruining his career, but almost his life.

With the expenses scandal showing no signs of abating, Clive Palmer (PUP) and Andrew Wilkie (Ind), put out a statement saying when Parliament resumed they would move a No Confidence Motion in the Speaker.

“There seems to be double standards with both the former speaker Peter Slipper and now Bronwyn Bishop. They have not been a fair yardstick for the Australian people. What’s good for the goose should be good for the gander,” Clive Palmer said.

It looked like Bishop’s goose was well and truly cooked. Time to put a fork in her, she’s done.

Maybe in another Parliament the limos, helicopters, lunches, wines, European holidays, chartered aircraft scandal might have lasted only a few days before being overtaken by another scandal, but this was a government which was screaming “Debt and Deficit”, This was a government which got front page headlines calling for the GST to be raised 50% at the same time Bronwyn’s helicopters were making the news. This was a government which gave us a “lifters and leaners” budget which punished the poor with austerity and rewarded the rich with taxpayer handouts. This was a government which wanted to raise the retirement age to 70, because even though you have sacrificed your wages your entire career in the form of taxes to fund your aged pension this government was going to call you a leaner. This was a government that wanted to deny unemployed under-30s any form of income support for 6 months (since revised to 5 weeks).

This was a government full of over-entitled people who had spent their lives with their snouts in the taxpayer trough, as if they earned it, living a lavish lifestyle funded on the backs of pensioners, the unemployed and the working poor surviving on slave wages and high taxes.

This was a government out of touch with ordinary people, Bronwyn Bishop’s expenses scandal would not quietly.

When challenged on her expenses, Bishop showed a lack of humility, a lack of contrition, an arrogance in blaming the Labor party, an inability to take responsibility. This was the final step when Bishop crossed the line from feared to hated, and then she became a national joke.

Bishop’s taxpayer-funded expenditure for the years 2012-2014 show zero family travel. Perhaps her money can keep her company in her retirement.

Throw a bucket of water on Bishop, it’s time for her to disappear.

An undignified end to an undignified career. Go quietly or go kicking and screaming, Bronwyn, just go away. Take your overly generous taxpayer-funded pension, take your golden ticket on the gravy train and ride off into the sunset of obscurity.

469 thoughts on “Bye Bye Bishop”

  2. The Poms win the toss and field.

    It’s wet and overcast.

    Must be looking forward to batting last!

    Reply

  3. CTar1

    ….mum couldn’t remember if she’d taken her pills that day

    When my dad was going down with bowel cancer that type of event gave us both a big laugh. Had called him for a chat and he mentioned that he could not remember if he had taken the morphine tablet earlier. Dad was worried about taking too much. Told him “If you can’t remember taking it , then you have taken it !”. Despite the circumstances we both cacked ourselves for ages.

    Reply

  5. Everyone seem s to be avoiding the reality that Bishop was rorting the system with her use of luxury travel and limos’.

    Reply

  16. Gallipoli centenary celebrations…; “Never have so many died and been resurrected, died again and again for the sake of so few can bathe in the vicarious glory of someone else’s death.”

    This worship of the dead is becoming decidedly unhealthy.

    Reply

  18. jaycee423

    The prospect of having a PM Blood Oaf and the centenary of Gallipoli being around at the same time is a truly frightful thought. How far OTT will he go. The sky is the limit.

    Hey Tones. Remind us how your family became catholics eh ? Brave Sir Robin indeed.

    Reply

  28. Good morning Dawn Patrollers. Rather a slow news day.

    Mark Kenny says nothing seems to be working for Abbott.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/reform-takes-back-seat-to-survival-for-tony-abbotts-luckless-government-20150806-gisx68.html
    What an inspiring effort from the Aussie test team!
    http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/the-ashes/the-ashes-2015-rampant-england-deliver-australias-blackest-day-20150806-gitjmi.html
    Michelle Grattan on how the entitlements issue has turned into a cluster bomb.
    https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-entitlements-issue-turns-into-cluster-bomb-45777
    The noise around problems with MyGov has all the hallmarks of a cock up and has the portents of a big problem for the Department of Human Services.
    http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/public-service/mygov-lockout-comes-weeks-after-digital-boss-warning-20150804-giqwkz.html
    Are leadership rumblings within the Liberals re-emerging for Abbott?
    http://theaimn.com/abbott-in-trouble-again-as-leadership-speculation-re-surfaces/
    Looks like a conflict of interest for Helen Coonan here I’d say.
    http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/luke-foley-calls-on-mike-baird-to-replace-helen-coonan-over-alleged-potential-conflict-of-interest-at-sydney-harbour-foreshore-authority-20150805-gisemz.html
    The Young Liberals are getting restless about the approach of their MPs t marriage equality.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/liberal-mp-under-pressure-from-young-liberals-to-support-samesex-marriage-20150805-gism4e.html
    Waleed Aly contends that Abbot is further isolated over his back down over indigenous recognition. A long and detailed discussion.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/tony-abbott-has-been-further-isolated-by-his-indigenous-backdown-20150805-gisksu.html
    Greg Hunt, our first Minister for Pollution.
    https://newmatilda.com/2015/08/06/greg-hunt-our-first-minister-pollution
    “View from the Street” has a wide ranging rant this morning.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/view-from-the-street/view-from-the-street-so-were-stripping-vandals-of-citizenship-now-20150806-gitb5r.html

    Reply

  29. Section 2 . . .

    The Parrot’s big beak may have landed him in trouble with the SCG Trust.

    Peter Hartcher says the US has no strategy to combat IS.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/us-has-no-strategy-on-is-says-intelligence-committee-head-devin-nunes-20150806-gitfew.html
    Alan Moir on the strange coalescence across the parliamentary aisle.

    David Pope takes Chopper for a run.

    Mark Knight sums up the relevance of the finding of the MH370 flaperon.

    Bill Leak infers that the frigate policy hasn’t gone down too convincingly for Abbott.

    David Rowe and the Parliamentary Ashes match review.

    Reply

  30. The mystery continues:

    Either Malaysians talk too much, or the French authorities did not say enough. The case of the flight MH370 turns, in any case, to the cacophony from the recent discovery of a piece of airplane part in the Meeting whose operation now feeds all the speculation.
    Wednesday, bypassing justice in France, the Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak, delivered from Kuala Lumpur, its first conclusions of expert assessments in Toulouse on wing fragment : “We now have physical proof that the flight MH370 was tragically ended in the Indian Ocean. “A mild eagerness few minutes later by the Paris prosecutor who simply spoke of” very strong evidence “. For his part, the Ambassador of Malaysia in Paris was the first to warn the husband and father of three French victims, Ghyslain Wattrelos, the supposed results of these examinations. Thursday it was the turn of the Malaysian Minister of Transport to trouble by announcing that France had discovered new aircraft debris in Reunion (pieces of seats, windows …), Paris taking care not to confirm.

    https://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.lefigaro.fr/&prev=search

    Reply

  31. Greg Hunt, our first Minister for Pollution.

    Is there any minister that isn’t the Orwellian opposite of what their portfolio is supposed to be??

    Reply

  34. gigi -It seems to me that the French Prosecutor is rightfully cautious at the moment.

    The Malaysian PM under all sort of pressure on many domestic issues so this is a welcome diversion for him.

    Reply

  36. The vicious brutality of those killers depicted on Lateline last night leaves one in horror beyond words…

    Reply

  38. Goodes, Gillard, and Australia’s sick culture of victim-blaming

    In response to anti-Semitic attitudes during WWII, German sociologist Theodor W. Adorno described the practice of blaming the victim as ‘one of the most sinister features of the Fascist character’. These are worrying words when you consider that we have commentators condemning Goodes for ‘being a victim’ when he is being so blatantly targeted

    http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=45301#.VcPvMfmqpBc

    Reply

  39. Delusional? Insane? Totally lost his marbles?

    Tony Abbott has declared that the overturning of the proposed Queensland Carmichael mega coalmine means courts can be used to “sabotage” worthy projects, in his strongest defence yet of coal production in Australia.

    “As a country we must, in principle, favour projects like this,” the Prime Minister told The Australian last night.

    “This is a vitally important project for the economic development of Queensland and it’s absolutely critical for the human welfare literally of tens of millions of people in India.”

    An exasperated Mr Abbott said the federal government ­approval for Indian company Adani to develop the $16 billion coalmine in central Queensland, which was overturned by the Federal Court on Wednesday, was a vital project.

    He said if Australia did not allow such developments, “we have a problem as a nation”.

    “Lets face it: this is a $21bn ­investment of which some billion dollars has already been spent,” Mr Abbott said.

    “It will create about 10,000 well-paid jobs in Australia. And if it goes ahead, it will provide for decades to come for 100 million people in India who currently have no power.”

    There’s much more, but you will have to do the Google thing.
    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/carmichael-mine-end-green-sabotage-of-coal-says-tony-abbott/story-fn59niix-1227473380278

    India is not relying on our coal to provide power. India is going solar. Abbott seems to be the only person in the world who does not know – or does not want to know – about that. Here’s just one of about a million articles on this topic.
    http://www.forbes.com/sites/saritharai/2015/07/07/for-investors-indias-solar-push-could-signal-a-gold-rush/

    Reply

  40. leone

    This cartoon expresses it so well. It seems that from colonialism till now, nothing much has changed. There will always be some with Abbott’s mentality.

    Reply

  43. gigilene
    Who would believe him?

    If – now an enormous ‘if’ – that mining disaster goes ahead we all know overseas workers will be brought in on 457 visas and paid slave wages.

    Reply

  46. God save us. Am watching ( forgive me ) the Republican debate on Fox. If any of these morons become President the world is in peril – seriously. Erect walls against neighbours, go flat out to build military might that will have every nation quivering, stop abortions, reclaim Americas might, get rid of healthcare, cut taxes for the rich and watch the benefits trickle down to the krill. Jesus wept.

    Reply

  49. jaycee – They’re big on saying how many jobs have been created but never mention how many have been lost.

    Reply

  50. The vacant chair on Monday night’s Q&A has been filled by little Josh Frydenberg. I might have watched, just because Chris Hadfield is on the panel, but I won’t bother now. Tony Jones will, as usual, give the Abbott minister the spotlight and will ignore the others. Frydenberg will get even more attention because Jones will want to do a bit of sucking up after the ban.

    Q&A: Josh Frydenberg to be first Coalition MP to appear on Q&A after Tony Abbott lifts ban
    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-07/qanda-tony-abbott-lifts-frontbenchers-ban/6680278

    Reply

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