Labor demands AFP investigate Bishop

Labor has sent another letter to the Australian Federal Police urging an immediate investigation into Bronwyn Bishop.

Speaker of the House Bronwyn Bishop

Source: AAP

Labor has demanded the Australian Federal Police investigate Speaker Bronwyn Bishop's chartering of a helicopter for a Liberal fundraiser.

In a letter to the AFP on Saturday, Labor's waste watch spokesman Pat Conroy says refusing to investigate the allegations would be "inconsistent" with the AFP's approach to allegations against former speaker Peter Slipper in 2012.

"I ask that your investigation into Ms Bishop's conduct proceed without any further delay," he wrote in the letter obtained by AAP.

The AFP declined Mr Conroy's request for an investigation on Friday.

An AFP spokeswoman said the matter would instead be investigated by the Finance Department under the Minchin protocol, "the agreed protocol for dealing with matters of this nature".

That's despite the AFP having investigated former speaker Peter Slipper in 2012 over allegations he misused taxi dockets.

At the time, a Finance Department spokesman said the Minchin protocol did not apply where an allegation was referred directly to the AFP.

Mr Conroy said the Minchin protocol was "no impediment" to a police investigation into Mrs Bishop's conduct and was merely an administrative policy.

"This simple administrative policy cannot override the statutory obligation to investigate and prosecute crime which is imposed on the Australian Federal Police," the letter says.

Labor wants the AFP to investigate whether Mrs Bishop made a false statement when she signed a Finance Department form stating the charter was claimed for "official business".


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Source: AAP


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