Marginal Libs deflect over Speaker Bishop

Marginal seat Liberal MPs are deflecting questions about Bronwyn Bishop amid calls for the veteran Liberal to quit as Speaker.

Teresa Gambaro's constituents are not blaming the Liberal MP over the expenses scandal engulfing Bronwyn Bishop.

Mrs Bishop is in hot water over her use of taxpayer-funded travel entitlements, including staying in a hotel on the night of Ms Gambaro's wedding in 2007.

But a spokesman for the Brisbane MP told AAP on Friday local constituents had not made a link between the pair.

Overall feedback from Brisbane residents had been mixed - while some were outraged, others were supportive of the Speaker.

It comes after Tasmanian Liberal Brett Whiteley wrote to Mrs Bishop expressing his concerns, and those of his electorate, about her use of entitlements amid a furore over the Speaker's $5000 helicopter ride to a Liberal fundraiser in Geelong.

Mr Whiteley said he was pleased to hear Mrs Bishop's genuine apology on Thursday but the community was understandably angry over the issue.

"I have written to the Speaker to inform her directly of the views of my electorate, and both their and my disappointment in the serious entitlement misjudgment," he said in a statement to AAP.

The contents of his letter to Mrs Bishop won't be made public.

Other marginal seat Liberal MPs were deflecting questions about the Speaker on Friday.

Backbencher Sarah Henderson's office referred questions about her Corangamite electorate, which takes in Geelong's southern suburbs, to the Speaker's office.

Ms Henderson was snapped alongside cabinet minister Malcolm Turnbull when he arrived via train from Melbourne to Geelong, in what's been interpreted as a thinly-veiled shot at Mrs Bishop.

West Australian Liberal Luke Simpkins, who earlier this year initiated a leadership spill motion against Tony Abbott after expressing the concerns of his electorate about the government, would not comment.

Western Sydney MP Craig Laundy was also unavailable for comment, but has previously expressed concerns about "copping it" from frustrated constituents.


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Source: AAP


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