Coalition MPs look at Philip Ruddock as the next speaker

On Sunday afternoon, Bronwyn Bishop tendered her resignation as the speaker of the House of Representatives, prompting questions as to who will be the next to hold the position. According to sources, veteran Liberal MP Philip Ruddock is the frontrunner for the position.

Bishop was pressured to resign for weeks following the revelation that she misused taxpayers’ money for her private tours. The scandal finally ended with what the public and opposition demanded for so long: Bishop’s resignation. Coalition MPs are likely to propose Ruddock’s name for the speaker’s post, according to ABC .

“Father of the House” Ruddock hit the headlines earlier this year when Prime Minister Tony Abbott sacked him as chief government whip. Ruddock, according to Mr Abbott, “wasn’t as aware as he should have been” about backbench unrest under his leadership. Apart from Ruddock, deputy speaker and National MP Bruce Scott is also considered as contender to replace Bishop. Scott has just announced Monday that he will retire at the next federal election.

However, the name of neither Ruddock nor Scott have been mentioned publicly yet. It is understood that they both are being considered for the candidature.

On Bishop’s misuse of authority, Cabinet Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that the money politicians use for private purposes belong to the people and hence should be used carefully. He also said that Bishop made errors of judgment but of course took a right decision to resign finally. Turnbull argued that the entitlements should not be called business expenses. “It has always jarred with me, because we not entitled to anything,” he said to Sky News.

In addition, he supported the review of the entitlement system as it could make several ambiguities clear.

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