http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/bronwyn-bishop-spent-1071-on- chauffeured-trips-same-day-she-went-to-freebie-opening-night-of-yes-prime- minister/story-fni0xqrc-1227466264482 Bronwyn Bishop spent $1,071 on chauffeured trips same day she went to ‘freebie’ opening night of Yes, Prime Minister

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HIGH-roller Bronwyn Bishop spent $1071 on two chauffeur-driven car trips in on the same day she used freebie tickets to attend the opening of Yes, Prime Minister with two staffers.

The Speaker’s expenditure on taxpayer-funded luxury limousines and Comcars has been laid bare in parliamentary records that confirm costs of up to $1000 a day for the Liberal MP to be ferried around Sydney. Over the past five years, taxpayers have spent $260,237 on chauffeured cars, limousines and private-plated vehicles to drive Ms Bishop around Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and other capital cities.

A digitally altered clip from the 1989 film Driving Miss Daisy with Bronwyn Bishop as Jessica Tandy’s character Daisy Werthan and in Morgan Freeman’s role of chauffeur Hoke Colburn. Her spokesman revealed she has often preferred Royale Limousines, that offers chauffeur-driven BMWs, because unlike Comcars they can drive in bus lanes allowing her to get around faster.

An analysis by The Sunday Telegraph has revealed that on April 4, 2012, the night Mrs Bishop attended the premiere of Yes, Prime Minister at the Sydney Theatre at Walsh Bay, she booked two Comcars.

The first was for $468.50 and the second trip on the same day was for $602.50.

Mrs Bishop’s entry on the register of members’ interests also records separately that she received two free tickets to attend Yes, Prime Minister on April 4, 2012, and that two members of her staff also received free tickets.

Angela Bishop and MP mother Bronwyn at premiere of 'Yes, Prime Minister' at Sydney Theatre on April 4, 2012

Bronwyn Bishop at the Adopt A Change exclusive dinner on Saturday night. Picture: Christian Gilles Her chief of staff Damien Jones attended with his NSW Liberal MP wife Natasha Maclaren-Jones. Liberal frontbencher Andrew Robb was also photographed at the opening night.

It is not known if she had any official events on the day of the $1000 chauffeured car booking as her office is refusing to provide details of her official diary while the - Finance Department probes Mrs Bishop’s expenses.

“All of these matters are now before the Department of Finance and it is not - appropriate for our office to continue commentary now this process is under way,” a spokesman said.

Mrs Bishop’s office has previously defended her use of chauffeur-driven cars to attend the opera and theatre as “quite proper” after it was revealed she had spent - another $1000 attending La Boheme in Sydney in 2013.

Finance records show she spent $517 and $516 on two Comcar trips on the same day she attended the opera.

According to parliamentary records, Mrs Bishop also spent $342 on Anzac Day for a chauffeur-driven Comcar to ferry her to official engagements as Speaker in Sydney.

Last year, her car costs were $32,965, but this figure did not include land transport costs overseas of $14,000 during a $90,000 overseas tour.

But these costs were comparatively modest to the costs she incurred in 2010 when she lodged a combined bill for Comcars and hire cars of $39,088 for just six months from July to December. Her total chauffeured car costs in 2010 were $64,058.

The reporting period included the 2010 election. On August 8, 2010, the day before Tony Abbott formally launched the ’s federal election campaign, Mrs Bishop spent $740.15 on a single Comcar trip.

In a final report for 2010, Mrs Bishop also reported multiple “infringement notices” for hire cars of $25 each. On one day on April 16, 2010, her hire car reported four $25 infringement notices totalling $100 on the same day that she hired Comcars in Melbourne for $166 and $40 respectively. In Brisbane, on May 17, 2010, she reported a $550 Comcar trip.

In 2011, Mrs Bishop reported car costs of $28,000 in just six months from July to December.