Bronwyn Bishop spends $5,000 on 80km charter flight from...

Bronwyn Bishop spends $5,000 on 80km charter flight from Melbourne to Geelong

By political reporters Peta Donald and Anna Henderson
Updated 20 minutes ago
PHOTO: Bronwyn Bishop spent more than $130,000 on travel in six months.(AAP: Alan Porritt, file photo)
MAP: Melbourne 3000
Labor is demanding an explanation from Federal Parliamentary Speaker Bronwyn Bishop after it was revealed she spent more than $5,000 on a charter flight for an 80-kilometre journey.
In total, the Liberal veteran spent $130,889.80 on official travel in the second half of last year.
The Speaker opted to take the charter plane from Melbourne to Geelong last November, rather than using her Commonwealth car.
The estimated travel time by road is just over an hour.
The $5,227.27 cost of the trip is detailed in a six-monthly report to the Finance Department.
Mrs Bishop also spent more than $88,000 on a 15-day official visit to Europe while she was running for the presidency of the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union.
The trip to Europe took in Italy, Belgium, Austria and Switzerland from October 3-18.
An 11-day trip in September to Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos and South Korea cost $42,805.51.
Labor MP Pat Conroy has written to Mrs Bishop "to seek clarification of her use of parliamentary entitlements".
"This seems a curious decision which is not only prohibitively expensive, but also inefficient," he said.
"The Speaker likely clocked up more travel time by combining the 45-minute flight with road transfers to and from airports, than she would have driving for around an hour from Melbourne to the event in Geelong instead."
From other news sites:

• News.com.au: Taxpayers charged $5000 for Brownyn Bishop's charter flight from Melbourne to Geelong
• The Guardian: Bronwyn Bishop spent $88,000 of taxpayer funds on trip to Europe
• The Australian: Bronwyn Bishop racks up $130,000 for travel and flights

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-15/bronwyn-bishop-spends-5000-dollars-80km-charter-flight/6622134