Gone are the days when the public could only grumble quietly about a politician’s gaffe.
So, when an Australian politician (who was widely mocked last year when she tried to ban laughter) revealed she'd spent thousands of dollars on a taxpayer-funded helicopter ride the it was only a matter of time before the Aussie public had their say.
Bronwyn claimed $5,227 (£2,500) for chartering a helicopter from Melbourne to Geelong for a Liberal party fundraiser. The 75km journey takes merely an hour by car. She has since repaid the money.
She then made matters worse by changing her Facebook cover photo to a coastal view that appeared to have been shot from a helicopter.
The incident is the latest controversy surrounding Bishop’s spending habits, after she charged taxpayers more than $3300 (£1,565) for using a car on a Saturday, when she attended an opera.
While it is unknown whether she had official engagements on that and a spokesman told The Sydney Morning Herald that she was entitled to use the car, it merely highlighted the politician’s spending track record which was muddied after she claimed limousine rides as taxis in her expense reports.
Dubbed ‘choppergate’, this is what the public has made of it:
Bronwyn Bishop has come out of hiding today and was seen taking her dog for a walk pic.twitter.com/721JGkK2zs
— alex dunnin (@AlexDunnin) July 18, 2015
Bronwyn Bishop seen heading to the corner store for a carton of milk & loaf of bread pic.twitter.com/bc13imKso9
— David Carter (@chef09876) July 19, 2015
Bronwyn Bishop watering her garden? pic.twitter.com/JYbNsMIFUh
— Preston de Guise (@backupbear) July 20, 2015
Bronwyn Bishop agrees to take bus to next Liberal Party fund raiser function pic.twitter.com/f4i7T7bTKL
— alex dunnin (@AlexDunnin) July 18, 2015
#BronwynBishop rolling up to her local bottle shop for some bubbly. #BishopGate #Bishop #auspol pic.twitter.com/jYAFP0F3Z6
— Kon Karapanagiotidis (@Kon__K) July 18, 2015
Bronwyn Bishop's motorcade to work this morning. #auspol pic.twitter.com/b9QqFPRPXD
— Simon Taylor (@MrSimonTaylor) July 20, 2015
Where are you off to now Bronnie? #choppergate #auspol pic.twitter.com/oTki4CFbzT
— Bryan (@micklerod) July 20, 2015
Bronwyn Bishop reluctant to discuss downsizing her personal staff. #auspol #choppergate pic.twitter.com/ad8rCtiFa8
— Nic Halley (@NicHalley) July 20, 2015
#BronwynBishop has eggs for breakfast. #auspol #choppergate #BishopProbation pic.twitter.com/LVAGCTNsls
— David M. Green (@David_M_Green) July 20, 2015
#auspol #choppergate pic.twitter.com/BGxTeElrxX
— Michael Wyres (@mwyres) July 20, 2015
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Prime Minister Tony Abbott said of the matter earlier this week: “Obviously the action she was responsible for with the helicopter was out of line; it was out of line,”
“Yes, she has been a strong Speaker, she has been a good servant of our country, she has been a good servant of the Coalition and so she does have my confidence – but, like everyone who has done something like this, inevitably for a period of time, they are on probation," he added, The Guardian reported.
