Melbourne: Australia’s Victoria state parliament is without a speaker and deputy speaker after the resignation of the two over an expenses scandal.
The resignation of Deputy Speaker Don Nardella Saturday evening followed that of Speaker Telmo Languiller hours earlier. Nardella was found to have claimed around $A100,000 (Dh281,839) to live an hour from his electorate, AAP reported. Languiller quit after claiming nearly $A40,000 to reside in a coastal town while representing an electorate in the western suburbs of Melbourne.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said the resignations were “the right decision.” The allowance was meant for regional lawmakers who must travel to Melbourne for parliament, Andrews said in a statement Saturday.
“For that reason, I have asked the Special Minister of State to urgently determine what changes are required so what has occurred in these instances does not happen again,” Andrews said.
Andrews said the ruling Labour Party would nominate replacements for the speaker and deputy at its next caucus meeting.
— Bloomberg
