Choppergate: Speaker Bronwyn Bishop took chartered flight to second Liberal Party fundraiser

EMBATTLED Speaker Bronwyn Bishop took a chartered flight to another Liberal fundraiser just five days after her taxpayer-funded helicopter jaunt to Geelong.

EMBATTLED Speaker Bronwyn Bishop took a chartered flight to another Liberal fundraiser in regional NSW just five days after her taxpayer-funded helicopter jaunt to Geelong.

The Herald Sun can reveal Ms Bishop took the charter service to the NSW town of Young, where she was key speaker at the $50-a-head Liberal event at the Young Services Club.

In a further embarrassment, the chartered flight to Young — 160km northwest of Canberra — was not listed in the six-month audit of travel expenses by federal politicians.

Rules governing federal politicians require members of Parliament to report all publicly funded travel costs.

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A spokesman for Ms Bishop defended the omission, saying the expenditure report is done by the Department of Finance and would be included in the next report.

The Herald Sun last week revealed that Ms Bishop charged taxpayers $5227 for the return helicopter flight from Melbourne to Geelong for a Liberal­ fundraiser during the ­November state election.

Ms Bishop has agreed to repay the cost of that trip plus a $1300 fine but refused to apologise, calling it an “error of judgment”.

That flight, the trip to Young and a third chartered flight to Nowra late last year will now be investigated by the Department of Finance.

But there is growing pressure for Ms Bishop to repay the full cost of her trip to Victoria after she failed to provide any other reason for being in the state.

On Wednesday, a spokesman for Ms Bishop, Damien Jones, told the Herald Sun the Speaker had “a number of meetings during her visit to Victoria”, but when asked on Saturday whether the Geelong fundraiser was her only event, Ms Bishop said: “I think so”.

Taxpayers footed the bill for domestic flights from Coolangatta to Melbourne, then back to Sydney at a cost of $1026. She also spent $213.50 on Comcar hire in Victoria.

If Ms Bishop is found to have misused her entitlements for the full trip to Victoria, it could again open the door for a police investigation because she has agreed only to repay the cost of the helicopter flight, not the additional $1240.

The Herald Sun understands Ms Bishop has lost the support of some Cabinet ministers which has put further pressure on Prime Minister Tony Abbott who is standing by his political mentor.

Yesterday, government frontbencher Greg Hunt said Ms Bishop’s decision to take a helicopter to the Liberal fundraiser was wrong.

“It was wrong and as the Speaker said, clearly an error of judgment,” Mr Hunt said.

“It was right to pay the cost fully and with the additional amount.”

Treasurer Joe Hockey said the matter had “sucked up too much oxygen”.

“I haven’t heard of anyone who has taken a helicopter to a fundraising event,” he said.

“There are rules that have been laid down, bipartisan rules, and there’s a fine in place ... Bronwyn Bishop has paid the fine.”

It is not known whether Ms Bishop had any “official duties” in the NSW town of Young but it is understood she spoke about her role as Speaker and the Australian Parliament during the event.

Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett defended Ms Bishop and criticised her colleagues for failing to defend her.

“I do not excuse the abuse of privileges and this charge did seem excessive ... but calls for Bronwyn to resign are totally over the top,” Mr Kennett said.

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Originally published as Choppergate: Speaker Bronwyn Bishop took chartered flight to second Liberal Party fundraiser