Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has promised sweeping changes to the parliamentary entitlements system after Sussan Ley quit his frontbench following a fortnight of public fury over her travel expenses.
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Under Mr Turnbull's plan a new independent agency will be established to oversee all federal politicians' "work expenses" and MPs will be required to report their spending every month, instead of twice a year.
The new body – to be modelled on a similar British authority – will monitor and adjudicate on all expense claims.
Entitlement disclosures will also be made public in a new easily searchable format to improve transparency.
Describing the current system as "absolutely antiquated", Mr Turnbull said the government would also continue to implement the recommendations of the David Tune and John Conde report that was ordered in the wake of the Bronwyn Bishop "choppergate scandal" in 2015. Legislation is expected in the coming months.
"Australians are entitled to expect that politicians spend taxpayers' money carefully, ensuring at all times that their work expenditure represents an efficient, effective and ethical use of public resources," Mr Turnbull said.
"As politicians, backbenchers and ministers we should be as careful and as accountable with taxpayers' money as we possibly can be."
Mr Turnbull said he would announce Ms Ley's permanent replacement next week. In the meantime Cabinet Secretary Arthur Sinodinos will continue to act in the role.
It's not known whether Mr Turnbull will simply replace Ms Ley or take the opportunity for a wider frontbench reshuffle. However, hardline conservatives in the Coalition are expected to push for the return to the frontbench of Tony Abbott.
Mr Turnbull would not go into the details of the findings of a report into Ms Ley's conduct by top public servant Martin Parkinson. However in her statement Ms Ley said she was happy for the report to be made public.
Acting Opposition Leader Penny Wong pledged Labor's in-principle support for the changes but said Mr Turnbull should have acted against Ms Ley sooner and called for the Parkinson report to be made public.
Ms Ley has been a prodigious user of charter flights around her own electorate, racking up 120 charter flights at a cost of about $210,000 since 2014.
She often flies herself and has previously justified these expenses on the basis she has a big electorate and it's the best way to serve her constituents.
