Victoria's speaker and deputy speaker have sensationally quit on the eve of a forensic audit into whether they abused their parliamentary entitlements, plunging the Andrews Government into a fresh crisis.
Days after Fairfax Media revealed that the former speaker, Telmo Languiller, had claimed almost $40,000 on a "second residence" allowance to live in Queenscliff while representing a western suburbs electorate, the Labor MP announced he would step down and return to the backbench.
Hours later, Labor's deputy speaker Don Nardella - who had claimed more than $100,000 using the same taxpayer-funded allowance - also announced he would quit his post.
