PM Abbott warns politicos against 'exploiting' expenses rules

Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Friday warned Australian politicians that they cannot 'get away with exploiting the rules' on expenses.

His comments came amid the expenses scandal that has embroiled the government for the past three weeks.

Abbott also announced that Bronwyn Bishop, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has expressed remorse about her use of taxpayers' funds to travel to friends' weddings and Liberal party functions.

The prime minister has himself had to pay back money spent on travel in the past.

The scandal began when it became public that Bishop had spent 5,000 Australian dollar of public funds on a helicopter flight to a Liberal Party function that could have easily been reached by road.

She has also claimed expenses for travel to several weddings of her Liberal Party colleagues.

Australia's rules about travel entitlements for politicians are unclear but Bishop's scandal has set social media on fire, triggering a thousand memes on the Facebook page 'Australian Political Memes'.