Mr Slipper stood aside yesterday from his position as Speaker of the House of Representatives while criminal charges about his possible misuse of taxpayer funded Cabcharges are being investigated.

Mr Slipper has insisted that he is innocent and is hopeful he will be cleared of the charges by the time that parliament resumes for the budget on May 8.

But the Manager of Opposition Business, Christopher Pyne, has insisted that Mr Slipper stand down until he is also cleared of civil charges, relating to allegations that he sexually harassed his staffer, James Ashby, 33.

"Both the civil and criminal allegations are very, very serious," he told ABC radio this morning.

This comes amid new allegations of travel rorts against Mr Slipper.

Today, the Daily Telegraph outlined a raft of new allegations, dating from early 2010 to mid-2011, before Mr Slipper was appointed to the speakership and when he was still a member of the Liberal National Party.

These include the allegations that in March 2010 Mr Slipper spent more than $3000 of taxpayer funds to help a friend campaign in the Tasmanian state election, and that in June 2011, he racked up an $83 taxi charge in Townsville, even though he was in Canberra at the time.

It was also reported that one of Mr Slipper's advisers, Tim Knapp, was being questioned by the Australian Federal Police over the use of Mr Slipper's Commonwealth fuel card and allegations of rorting leave entitlements.

Mr Pyne has also called on the government to help resolve the matter by going to an election.

"The government could put the public out of its misery by calling an election so at least one party had a clear mandate in the House of Representatives in order to get on and govern this country in the way it deserves," Mr Pyne said.

But Mr Pyne would not be drawn on whether the Coalition was planning a vote of no confidence against Mr Slipper if he returns to the speakership.

"What we do in terms of tactics in the Parliament will become apparent at the appropriate time," he said.

For a vote to be successful, the Coalition would need the support of an independent – either Tony Windsor or Rob Oakeshott.

This morning, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said Mr Windsor and Mr Oakeshott should be questioning their support for the government.

"The question has to be put to Mr Windsor and Mr Oakeshott, upon whom this government's survival depends," Mr Abbott told Channel 7.

This morning, Mr Windsor said he was not going to "pre-empt or prejudge" the investigations into Mr Slipper.

"I think technically in the Parliament he's been doing a pretty good job as speaker," he told Sky News.

But Mr Windsor acknowledged that if the allegations were found to be true, Mr Slipper would be in "some degree of strife".

Mr Oakeshott is so far yet to comment on the matter.

Tasmanian Independent Andrew Wilkie, who in January tore up his agreement to support the government over lapsed pokies reform, is also yet to comment publicly on his intentions.

But yesterday, Mr Wilkie welcomed Mr Slipper's decision to vacate the Speaker's chair.

"Mr Slipper has done the right thing, because remaining in the chair would have been entirely improper," he said in a statement.

The Leader of the House, Anthony Albanese, said this morning he believed that Mr Slipper had done the right thing in deciding to step down while the "issue of the Cabcharges" was investigated, but said that the decision to do so was "up to him".

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