Former speaker and expense claim savant Bronwyn Bishop has stepped up her claim that she wished to be re-elected to parliament to fight terrorism, volunteering to take up the front lines in the war against Islamic State.

Here we see something that does not make any sense at all, even if one trust that what is said is valid. But the devoted religious person will anyway accept that what is said is valuable despite not making any sense.

Dumped treasurer Joe Hockey will become Australia's ambassador to the United States in the new year, and has conceded staying in parliament would have been about "getting even" with those who engineered his downfall.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has attempted to get on the front foot over a joke she made that went awry about the impact of climate change the Marshall Islands, laying the blame on her opposite number, Tanya Plibersek.

Mal Brough's mere presence as Special Minister of State is dragging down the Government. If the Prime Minister stands by him, he will have a lame duck - indeed, a next to useless minister - on his hands, writes Barrie Cassidy.