Labor to cause chamber havoc over bishop 20150731 p5tewl.html – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Labor to cause chamber havoc over Bishop

AAP

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Labor has threatened to disrupt federal parliament with delaying tactics if Bronwyn Bishop remains as Speaker.

Tony Burke, who manages opposition business in the House of Representatives, has warned the government not to expect "any level of cooperation the government ordinarily relies on" once parliament resumes on Monday week.

Labor would take every step necessary in the lower house to show its lack of confidence in the Speaker.

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"No-one can pretend that that goodwill is still there," Mr Burke told ABC television on Friday.

Mrs Bishop is facing mounting pressure to resign as Speaker amid new claims she attended a second fundraiser the day after she took a taxpayer-funded $5000 helicopter trip from Melbourne to Geelong.

She apologised on Thursday, three weeks after details of the charter was revealed and she agreed to repay the cost with a 25 per cent penalty.

It has since emerged she also used travel expenses to pay for trips to attend other Liberal Party fundraisers and the weddings of colleagues.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie and Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer intend to move a no-confidence motion in Mrs Bishop once parliament resumes.

The government has the numbers in the lower house to vote down a no-confidence motion. However there are multiple delaying tactics an opposition could employ to disrupt proceedings.

Mr Burke was tightlipped about which one Labor might use.

"You don't flag your tactics in advance because then the government's onto it straight away," he said.

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Mr Burke believes a no-confidence motion will have to wait until the second day of sittings, with the Monday taken up by condolence motions for the late Liberal MP Don Randall.

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