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PM declares 'sordid, squalid' Ashby-Slipper affair over...BUT departs before questions are answered...
ELEANOR HALL: There are new questions today over the involvement of a federal minister in the sexual harassment scandal surrounding the former speaker, Peter Slipper.
Mr Slipper's former staffer, James Ashby, told 60 Minutes last night that the Education Minister Christopher Pyne offered him a lawyer and a job before the allegations went public.
Mr Pyne has again denied having any specific knowledge of Mr Ashby's allegations, before they were made public.
Today the Prime Minister declared that while he has a lot of sympathy for Mr Ashby, what he called the "squalid, sordid" affair is in the past.
From Canberra, Naomi Woodley reports.
NAOMI WOODLEY: The allegations made against Peter Slipper at times dominated the previous Federal Parliament, and much of the 60 Minutes story last night covered material already in the public domain.
But for the first time, James Ashby said that the now Education Minister Christopher Pyne made this offer to him.
JAMES ASHBY: He said a lawyer would be paid for, as promised, and I would have a job in state LNP politics, or federal, if I chose to come back.
NAOMI WOODLEY: James Ashby says the offer came after he had first discussed his concerns about Peter Slipper with the LNP MP Wyatt Roy.
JAMES ASHBY: And he said to me that he would have to ask someone else, and he suggested to me that the only person he could trust was Christopher Pyne.
NAOMI WOODLEY: James Ashby says he made note of the conversation with Christopher Pyne in his diary, but that he was later told that the lawyer would not be paid for, and there would be no job.
Channel Nine's Liz Hayes questioned why the offer wasn't in his affidavit to the Federal Court.
JAMES ASHBY: I was quite happy to go on the stand and answer any questions but I've never been given that opportunity.
LIZ HAYES: You don't believe you've perjured yourself?
JAMES ASHBY: No.
LIZ HAYES: You don't believe your affidavit is contrary to what you're telling me now?
JAMES ASHBY: No.
NAOMI WOODLEY: James Ashby eventually dropped the sexual harassment case against Mr Slipper, but settled his case against the Commonwealth.
The shadow attorney-general, Mark Dreyfus, says there are new questions for the Government.
MARK DREYFUS: I think it is clear from 60 Minutes that Liberal MPs knew a lot more about Mr Ashby than they've admitted to.
They've never been forthcoming.
NAOMI WOODLEY: And he has specific questions for Christopher Pyne.
MARK DREYFUS: How often did he meet Mr Ashby? When did he meet Mr Ashby? At what point?
What inducements did he offer Mr Ashby? Did he offer inducements to Mr Ashby?
None of those questions have been answered, and I'd like to see Christopher Pyne actually submitting to a proper interview in which he's asked those questions and he gives non-evasive answers.
NAOMI WOODLEY: But the Education Minister has again said that he had no specific knowledge of Mr Ashby's allegations until they were published in a newspaper.
CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Of course rumours always circulate around Parliament House in Canberra, and rumours have circulated about Peter Slipper for some time.
So I was generally aware of the tenor of the rumours that were circulating, but I had no specific knowledge of the allegations.
NAOMI WOODLEY: And Mr Pyne says he did discuss employment with Mr Ashby.
CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Certainly my intention was never to lead him to believe a job would be provided to him.
But obviously if we won the Queensland state election, and then subsequently the federal election, when you are in government there are a lot more jobs available than when you are in opposition.
And if he felt uncomfortable in Mr Slipper's office, that would be an opportunity for him to get out of the office.
NAOMI WOODLEY: At a press conference this morning, the Prime Minister was asked if he'd be seeking a new explanation from Mr Pyne or any other government member about their involvement in the case.
TONY ABBOTT: I certainly stand by everything that I've said about this, and I am confident that Christopher will stand by everything that he's said about this business.
NAOMI WOODLEY: And he's offered this support to James Ashby.
TONY ABBOTT: I watched the program last night, I saw what I took to be a decent man who'd been put into an impossible position, and I had a lot of sympathy for him.
But the point, the point that I make is that all of this has been before the courts, and it all relates to a period in our national life, which was discreditable, which was sordid, which was squalid, and which is over.
NAOMI WOODLEY: Mr Abbott ended the press conference before being asked about the Government MP who defeated Mr Slipper at the election, Mal Brough, and his admission that he asked Mr Ashby to copy parts of Mr Slipper's diary.
JOURNALIST: Was it right for Mal Brough… sorry, you said you'd answer the question.
Tony Abbott cuts short his press talk and departs hurriedly.
NAOMI WOODLEY: Mr Brough told 60 Minutes he did it because he believed Mr Slipper was defrauding the Commonwealth, but he wouldn't say if he discussed the case with any other Coalition MPs.
Mr Slipper has been found guilty by the ACT Magistrates Court of three counts of dishonesty in relation to the use of Cabcharge vouchers, but he has lodged an appeal.
ELEANOR HALL: Naomi Woodley reporting.
Mr Slipper's former staffer, James Ashby, told 60 Minutes last night that the Education Minister Christopher Pyne offered him a lawyer and a job before the allegations went public.
Mr Pyne has again denied having any specific knowledge of Mr Ashby's allegations, before they were made public.
Today the Prime Minister declared that while he has a lot of sympathy for Mr Ashby, what he called the "squalid, sordid" affair is in the past.
From Canberra, Naomi Woodley reports.
NAOMI WOODLEY: The allegations made against Peter Slipper at times dominated the previous Federal Parliament, and much of the 60 Minutes story last night covered material already in the public domain.
But for the first time, James Ashby said that the now Education Minister Christopher Pyne made this offer to him.
JAMES ASHBY: He said a lawyer would be paid for, as promised, and I would have a job in state LNP politics, or federal, if I chose to come back.
NAOMI WOODLEY: James Ashby says the offer came after he had first discussed his concerns about Peter Slipper with the LNP MP Wyatt Roy.
JAMES ASHBY: And he said to me that he would have to ask someone else, and he suggested to me that the only person he could trust was Christopher Pyne.
NAOMI WOODLEY: James Ashby says he made note of the conversation with Christopher Pyne in his diary, but that he was later told that the lawyer would not be paid for, and there would be no job.
Channel Nine's Liz Hayes questioned why the offer wasn't in his affidavit to the Federal Court.
JAMES ASHBY: I was quite happy to go on the stand and answer any questions but I've never been given that opportunity.
LIZ HAYES: You don't believe you've perjured yourself?
JAMES ASHBY: No.
LIZ HAYES: You don't believe your affidavit is contrary to what you're telling me now?
JAMES ASHBY: No.
NAOMI WOODLEY: James Ashby eventually dropped the sexual harassment case against Mr Slipper, but settled his case against the Commonwealth.
The shadow attorney-general, Mark Dreyfus, says there are new questions for the Government.
MARK DREYFUS: I think it is clear from 60 Minutes that Liberal MPs knew a lot more about Mr Ashby than they've admitted to.
They've never been forthcoming.
NAOMI WOODLEY: And he has specific questions for Christopher Pyne.
MARK DREYFUS: How often did he meet Mr Ashby? When did he meet Mr Ashby? At what point?
What inducements did he offer Mr Ashby? Did he offer inducements to Mr Ashby?
None of those questions have been answered, and I'd like to see Christopher Pyne actually submitting to a proper interview in which he's asked those questions and he gives non-evasive answers.
NAOMI WOODLEY: But the Education Minister has again said that he had no specific knowledge of Mr Ashby's allegations until they were published in a newspaper.
CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Of course rumours always circulate around Parliament House in Canberra, and rumours have circulated about Peter Slipper for some time.
So I was generally aware of the tenor of the rumours that were circulating, but I had no specific knowledge of the allegations.
NAOMI WOODLEY: And Mr Pyne says he did discuss employment with Mr Ashby.
CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Certainly my intention was never to lead him to believe a job would be provided to him.
But obviously if we won the Queensland state election, and then subsequently the federal election, when you are in government there are a lot more jobs available than when you are in opposition.
And if he felt uncomfortable in Mr Slipper's office, that would be an opportunity for him to get out of the office.
NAOMI WOODLEY: At a press conference this morning, the Prime Minister was asked if he'd be seeking a new explanation from Mr Pyne or any other government member about their involvement in the case.
TONY ABBOTT: I certainly stand by everything that I've said about this, and I am confident that Christopher will stand by everything that he's said about this business.
NAOMI WOODLEY: And he's offered this support to James Ashby.
TONY ABBOTT: I watched the program last night, I saw what I took to be a decent man who'd been put into an impossible position, and I had a lot of sympathy for him.
But the point, the point that I make is that all of this has been before the courts, and it all relates to a period in our national life, which was discreditable, which was sordid, which was squalid, and which is over.
NAOMI WOODLEY: Mr Abbott ended the press conference before being asked about the Government MP who defeated Mr Slipper at the election, Mal Brough, and his admission that he asked Mr Ashby to copy parts of Mr Slipper's diary.
JOURNALIST: Was it right for Mal Brough… sorry, you said you'd answer the question.
Tony Abbott cuts short his press talk and departs hurriedly.
Mr Slipper has been found guilty by the ACT Magistrates Court of three counts of dishonesty in relation to the use of Cabcharge vouchers, but he has lodged an appeal.
ELEANOR HALL: Naomi Woodley reporting.
So Mr Brough feels no concern about the serial rorting by the Prime Minister, the Treasurer, AG and other members of cabinet amounting to tens of thousands, but that $900 in cab charges warrants a gaol term?
ReplyDeleteSilly Mr Slipper. He should have rorted around $100k and Mr Brough and the rest of the Liars Party would have patted him on the back. If only he'd known.