Victoria's disgraced ex-deputy speaker may have left the Labor caucus, but the government had no hope of escaping his expenses scandal.
Since news broke of Don Nardella's $100,000 perks two weeks ago, he has had to quit as deputy speaker, then from caucus and finally from a parliamentary committee.
He now misses out on the economic, education, jobs and skills committee's junket to Europe.
All the while he's refused to apologise or repay the money he claimed under a second residence allowance to live in Ocean Grove and not in his suburban Melton electorate.
Mr Nardella insists it was within the rules.
He'll now retire at the 2018 election, he told his electorate's local paper.
That didn't stop a former Labor colleague demanding Mr Nardella quit sooner, or federal Labor leader Bill Shorten saying the MP should probably leave the ALP altogether.
Either way, it's an undistinguished end to a 25-year parliamentary career in which deputy speaker was his highest rank.
The allowance scandal also claimed the job of former Speaker Telmo Languiller, who claimed nearly $40,000 to live in Queenscliff rather than his Tarneit electorate for most of 2016.
He has promised to pay it back, so remains in the government fold, but has spent the third sitting week of parliament off sick.
Mr Nardella moved to the cross bench this week when screams of "rorter" dominated question time.
There were demands for a select committee and for police to investigate.
Opposition leader Matthew Guy alleges Mr Nardella's Ocean Grove home was in fact a caravan.
He held a press conference in front of caravan, plastered with posters reading "gone rorting", "Don's place" and a smiling Mr Nardella.
The stunt also attracted the ire of parliamentary security who issued a warning notice for stopping in a no parking area.
The allowances saga is taking its toll on voters, a point the government repeatedly says it understands and is why they will reform their entitlements.
A ReachTEL poll, obtained by the Herald Sun, showed the government trailing the coalition 46 to 54 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.
A recent Essential Research poll Labor provided to AAP shows a one per cent dip in support.
Meanwhile the government announced tougher drug laws to bring Victoria into line with NSW and WA, blanket banning synthetic drugs often sold as 'legal highs' and slashing the amount of ice needed to get dealers on trafficking charges.
It also created a parliamentary inquiry into the effects of cutting Sunday penalty rates and hit out at the federal government over its leadership on the national energy market after it was revealed the eastern seaboard faces gas shortages in coming years.
