The Peter Slipper / James Ashby sexual harassment case is set down for further hearing on the interlocutory applications on the 2nd October 2012. The main application is by the government to have the matter thrown out for abuse of process. At this rate it will still be bubbling away and fresh in people’s minds at the next federal election due some time late next year.
It is time to have a look at some of the players, where they stand and what their possible game plans are. One of the elements that has not been mentioned in this case is that the barrister representing the government tweeted on twitter last year that Tony Abbott is a pedophile so I thought we would start off with that.
Julian Burnside, QC
Mr Burnside tweeted the below on the 3oth of September last year:
Paedos is slang for pedophile and the Speedos part is in reference to Mr Abbott who known for wearing speedos. The Australian reported at the time: “The Opposition Leader, renowned for wearing Speedos during ocean swimming events, declined to comment on the Twitter remark, but media lawyers said Mr Burnside’s comment could be seen to be defamatory.” (Click here to read the full article)
James Ashby has been accused recently of having sex with two 15-year-old boys when he was in his mid twenties which makes him a pedophile if true. It will make interesting times to say the least to have Julian Burnside cross-examining Mr Ashby if it gets to final hearing.
I find it amazing that the Labor government would use Mr Burnside given the political nature of the case and if Mr Burnside had any self-respect he should not have taken the brief. One would have thought that any barrister that had referred to any politician as a pedophile would not have been given any further government work. Obviously Mr Burnside back peddled and apologised but I think the apology is hollow and he should not have tweeted that in the first place.
I thought I would start off with Mr Burnside because what is special about him and his actions in this matter is absolutely nothing. All parties concerned have acted in a very grubby manner. I think this is brilliant because it shows corruption right across the board for all the public to see.
Background
Peter Slipper who is a federal politician and speaker of the parliament has been sued by one of his staff members, James Ashby, for sexual harassment. The government has also been sued by Mr Ashby.
Peter Slipper was formerly a member of the Liberal Party and opposition. He was enticed by the Labor Party to resign from the liberal party and take up the speakers job. The Labor Party only held government by one vote with the support of 3 independents and 1 member of The Greens Party. Mr Slippers defection gave them a 2 seat majority although one of the independents retracted his support not long after.
James Ashby colluded with a number of people before he instituted his proceedings. This included Mal Brough who is a former Liberal Party federal politician and has now been preselected for the Liberals in the Queensland seat of Fisher which is currently held by Peter Slipper. For those new to the story the following link gives a fairly good background with some of the evidence. (Click here to read)
Liberal Party
The Liberals are in a lot of trouble. Even more so now that Mal Brough has been preselected as a Liberal candidate for the next election. The court case I expect, with appeals, will still be going in some shape or form up until the next federal election.
Mr Brough has clearly been caught out lying about his involvement and the Labor Party will play this for everything it is worth. Tony Abbott will have his hands full trying to defend Mal Brough given there is no real defence given the evidence. They have been badly let down by the fools who preselected Mal Brough. They should have wiped there hands of him. Maybe he knows too much and could have taken others down with him so they have to protect him. But that is why it is the own goal of the year. All they had to do was shut their mouths until the next election. But some people cannot help themselves as they morally and ethically bankrupt.
Mal Brough
Mal Brough has lied about his involvement right from the start. It was reported: “Originally Mr Brough described his knowledge of the case against Mr Slipper as nonsense. Then he admitted to having three meetings to advise Mr Ashby and subsequently, court documents detail at least another two text messages, two emails and two phone calls.”
And: Mr Brough said yesterday Mr Ashby sent him three pages of Mr Slipper’s diary.
”He sent them to me because in the course of our first conversation he alleged criminal behaviour,” he said, adding he was curious to understand ”how anybody can spend over $1000 a day in cab fares supposedly doing parliamentary business but not tell us what it’s about”.
Mr Brough claimed yesterday he never asked for those extracts but in one text message exchange after Mr Ashby sent copies of the extracts, Mr Brough replies: ”Can that be emailed James it is hard to read.” (Click here to read the full article)
Based on the above Mal Brough will not survive as the candidate until the next election. One has to wonder if what he has done is a criminal offence. I suspect it would be.
James Ashby
Given Mr Ashby sent copies of pages of Mr Slippers diary to Mal Brough, Mr Ashby is in clear breach of Crimes Act 1914, s70 (i) Disclosure of information by Commonwealth officers
(1) A person who, being a Commonwealth officer, publishes or communicates, except to some person to whom he or she is authorized to publish or communicate it, any fact or document which comes to his or her knowledge, or into his or her possession, by virtue of being a Commonwealth officer, and which it is his or her duty not to disclose, shall be guilty of an offence.This carries a 2 year jail term. The whistle-blower Allan Kessing was charged and found guilty in 2007 under the same section,s70) for leaking reports about airport security failures. (Click here to read about Kessing) If it also turns out to be true that Ashby had sex with under age boys he is in lot more trouble than just two years jail.
Mr Ashby would have to be giving serious consideration to withdrawing his case. But he is caught between a rock and a hard place. If he withdraws the Liberal support will drop off immediately and then he will have to deal with the police. By continuing with his case he will keep the support of the Liberals and when they win at the next election, as the polls say they will, then the squeeze will be put on the Federal Police to drop any investigation into him.
Peter Slipper
He has form on the board for ripping off the tax payer and has previously had to repay tens of thousands of dollars. (Click here to read) His career is over at the next election. What has come out says he has been cheating or trying to cheat on his wife with another man so voters are not going to vote for him.
Justice Steven Rares
At first I thought he would protect Labor and Slipper but Rares is a Liberal appointment and it will interesting to see if he tries to pull a swifty to help the Liberals. Everyone has plenty of dirt on Rares because he is as corrupt as they come so he can not afford to upset the Labor Party or they might go after him in desperation. Although neither party in general go after corrupt judges. I wrote a post on him a few months ago titled ” Peter Slipper strikes it lucky and lands corrupt federal court judge Steven Rares to hear his sexual harassment case.” (Click here to read the post)
Labor Party
Labor have undermined their own cause and interfered in the judicial process with their public statements. The Australian reported “Attempts by Peter Slipper and ministers to label the behaviour of James Ashby part of a criminal conspiracy have backfired.”
“A federal court judge has said because of the claims, he can no longer force Mr Ashby to file a response to allegations of abuse of process for fear of incriminating himself.” (Click here to read more)
If Labor had shut their mouths that would have put Mr Ashby in a very difficult position and it would have been to the governments advantage.
Other than that for the Labor Party it is a dream come true. It will still not be enough to stop them losing the next election but it could possibly be worth a percentage point or two and might save a few seats. They will try to drag out proceedings right up until the next election to keep it in voters minds.
It really depends on who is leader at the next election. If Gillard is still leader it will not help them much at all as no one listens to her anyhow. But if Rudd is brought back as leader he will sell the issue like there is no tomorrow and even though a lot of people do not like him, including me, it must be acknowledged he is the best salesman in parliament at least on the Labor side.
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Categories: Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Peter Slipper, Tony Abbott
The continual references to Abbott and his speedos is absolutely the worst form of ridicule ever to arise from a political stoush! All lifesavers wear speedos, and that is exactly what Mr Abbott is about every time he’s photographed in this apparel! He’s out there doing his bit, volunteering in a worthy fashion, which is something his detractors seem to forget! How many of them would do the same? None, I would think!
Ridicule is probably the strongest weapon in the arsenal of the disinformation peddler.
I agree. He looks good in them anyway.
Strangely, yes he does.
Burnside is, as his history, causes, alliances and appearance show (note 1940’s style spectacles which must be specially made for him), an extremely vain man whose comments regularly expose his arrested adolescence. He needs heavy discipline by his mature peers for these insults laid upon Abbott. His social-climbing and ex-cathedral pomposity are inappropriate and should be deprecated unconditionally. Or will his “connections” protect him?
What a disgusting old man! He seems to have a filthy mind, sue him Mr. Abbott!
You probably won’t be surprised to hear but the vast majority of the people don’t give a toss about the Ashby case or Mal’s involvement. There is only one thing on their mind and that is the countdown to baseball bat day. And given the run the AWU scandal is now starting to get that may come well before the Ashby case even gets to a hearing. Once the election is over Ashby could drop his case and I doubt Slipper will want to keep his name before the public.
Interestingly Labor’s proposed changes to the whistleblower laws this session may even give Ashby indemnity, just depends on what they put up.
This will be getting plenty of airtime between now and the next election whether people care or not. Labor have very little going for them as the polls show and this gives them an opportunity to belt the Liberals all day every day and that is what they will do.
I know they will bang the drum about it and any other negative thing they can find, but given that the majority change channels or mute the TV whenever Gillard or any of the others stick their head up it won’t make much difference. A few swinging voters maybe but definitely not enough to save them.
SHANE,
\
IT CAN SATURATE THE AIR WAYS BUT TO NO AVAIL. NEVER HAS A GOVERNMENT BEEN SO HATED I AM SHOCKED AT THE AMOUNT OF VENOM EXPRESSED WHEN DISCUSSING THIS GOVERNMENT EVERYONE RICH AND POOR JUST WANT AN ELECTION. JULIAN GILLARD WOULD DIE OF SHOCK IF SHE HEARD SOME OF THE VICIOUS COMMENTS WHENEVER HER NAME IS MENTIONED.
AS FOR JULIAN BURNSIDE HIS COMMENTS ABOUT TONY ABBOTT ARE DISGUSTING.
A FRIEND OF MINE STOOD NEXT TO TONY ABBOTT IN HIS SPEEDOS AND INFORMED ME HE HAS AN AMAZING BODY AND A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF CHARM. SHE IS NOW NAGGING HER POOR HUSBAND TO TAKE OUT A GYM MEMBERSHIP.
i would rather see tony in his speedo’s than julia in a bikini.i thought to myself soon as roxon stuck her nose into this i knew is was more than a sexual harrasment charge it was to lay the blame at some one else’s feet and to take the heat of the exaluted leader. doesn’t matter what burnside say’s we all know tony abbott is a good father and husband and would make a good and honset leader without a shady past.
OMG DO NOT EVEN GO THERE!
JOOLYA MUST BE GREEN WITH ENVY TONY ABBOTT’S BODY HA HA AH..
Could we at least get the spelling right, it is paedophile from the Greek paedo, a child, as in paediatrician for children’s doctor.
All of the ped, pedo variants are AMERICAN spelling, not English. In English a pedometer, or a pedophile would be defined as a meter to measure distance walked, and a foot lover from the Latin pes, pedis a foot. Lovers of feet are not considered criminals unless those feet belong to underage children.
Last time I looked, our schools still teach and examine English, not American misspelling.
Insulting a member of our volunteer lifesaving community is the absolute lowest form of wit!!!
What is it they say? Your political career is over if you are caught with a dead girl or a live boy.
Most women , apart from the Gillard types , would most likesly appreciate Tony in his speedos.
YES, A HOT BODY , HIGHLY EDUCATED, UMBLEMISHED INTEGRITY.
JEALOUS JOOLYA………….
Burnside seems typical….all education , little intelligence
Shane, Wasn’t it Burnside who prosecuted Andrew Bolt over his supposed “racial slur”? He is a man of the extreme left and a total activist with a personal agenda in my opinion. The case reminds me a little of the old days when a girl who was raped could be questioned on her sexual history as though if she could be shown to be flirty, or had sex before marriage or something similar, it virtually closed down the case and the attacker would get off. If Ashby has a shady past surely it should not be relevant to the case – i.e. if he was sexually harassed or not?
When Nicola Roxon and Bob Carr made their public comments about Ashby, I was amazed. it seemed to me they were saying Ashby was “guilty until proven innocent” and yet they were also saying (at around the same time) that Thomson was “innocent until proven guilty”. ! Pretty awful form from an Attourney General who should know better.
Wonder if it will be settled out of court? Surely the Government wouldn’t want this to drag on and I think a lot of these cases are settled this way?
With the criminal allegations the government have made it makes it almost impossible for them to settle. Otherwise it looks like they are paying off a person they allege is a criminal. I think Labor would want it to drag on up until the next election myself as Mal Brough has got plenty of questions that he needs to answer and now he has been preselected his role is of more relevance than if he had not been preselected.
It must be remembered that Labor do not have much going for them as the polls show, so they will milk this for everything it is worth.
Shane, I don’t know that Mal Brough has to answer any questions in regard to the Slipper issue. He’s explained what occurred when Ashby approached him for advice. I think Brough is an honourable man, and if I put myself in his position I doubt I’d have done anything differently! He’s very popular in the electorate he’ll be representing, which is why the Labor Party will be making the most of his role in this fiasco!
This could explain why the Libs are not making mileage out of the Gillard-Wilson-AWU fiasco.
Tony Abbot does look OK in the speedos but there is no hope for Julia. No couterier or surgeon can fix her up because her heart is black.
I tend to agree with Fidopuss. Labor has tried to shift blame onto Ashby for seeking advice from someone he knew would understand the situation. The main point is that Peter Slipper is not fit to be in parliament. If he can’t or hasn’t learned to control his sexual urges at this age and abuses his power to trap others, he should be exposed and Ashby should be commended, in my opinion. Labor will do anything to shift the focus. I like Tony Abbott – I trust him implicitly. He is not a visionary and probably more a plodder but he appears to be honorable. However, in reference to speedos, I suggest Mr Abbott distances himself as far as possible from George Pell. With respect, I worked for a top head-hunter many years ago and learned that any applicant and there were only ever a few – to fill positions such as Chairman of Qantas – that showed any religious interest or affiliation were virtually seen as weakminded and their application would go to the bottom of the list or passed over altogether.
The ALP survives very well with scams and wrong doers.> just look at the following: slipper (sexual abuse) the ALP is now blaming everyone else. Craig thompson…brothels. unions( paying the wife $350 000 pa for scanning ,buying donuts, owning the printing press by one boss, paying personal legal matters with union money -Ludwig) buying flowers; stuffing up the pink batts by billions, stuffing up the school halls by billions, extremely stuffing up the NBN by billions and promising a hefty massive 7% return in thirty years but must pay the billions NOW. the latest stuff ups will be with asylym seekers saga. the bill will run into several billions of dollars then there will be a cost blowout of another several billions of dollars . by this time the ALP would have known that the word cost blowouts will not be used but a synonym such as costs associated with indexation or incidenatl expenses or the pull factor, but it will still mean thrashing the budget and leaving Australia in huge debts of about one trillion dollars. it is all in their DNA. we must get rid of this mob ASAP.
Couldn’t agree more tongast! Will they ever run out of excuses? They probably have the an “out” ready before they even announce change!
Craig who?
All arranged by the bankers who loan fiat money to put us in debt so that we are their slaves. So who is the banker’s puppet?
Hi Shane. Always interesting to get your slant on events and I understand where
you’re coming from in this post. However, I think you may have underestimated
the newly-awakened awareness of the average voter. With all the other different
events before and since the Slipper affair, IMO it is very low on the radar and will
remain so. Even if Labor could mount an attack it could not be sustained and
would more likely rebound on them. Through Labor’s own ineptitude, lying,
spinning and thanks to brave people like you, there is so much that can be used
against them it would more than outweigh any adverse fallout that might arise from
the Slipper/ Ashby affair. In addition, Mal Brough was a more than capable
Minister when last in Parliament and by gaining pre-selection he has proved
himself more than able to handle himself in the rough and tumble of politics. Aside
from being a judgment on the chaos caused by Gillard’s policies and the gross
mismanagement of almost every thing they’ve touched, one of the key factors and
battlles will be over freedom of speech. On behalf of all who value that freedom,
please keep up the pressure with your well-researched and incisive articles. Finally,
on that note may I also link to one I consider to be another champion of free
speech, one many might say from an unlikely quarter, Dallas Scott – The Black
Steam Train.
http://theblacksteamtrain.blogspot.co.au
Again, on behalf of many, thank-you Shane for all your efforts
Further to “Perth Plumbers” remarks regarding Gillard in a bikini,the sight defies imagination but the lower half could be renamed “Rhino smugglers” Keep up the AWU chase I can’t wait to hear all the slush, I have ordered Shane’s book and a “T” shirt.Regards,Allan.
Love it, Allan! I’ve also ordered a T-shirt!
Julian Burnside is a disgrace to his profession. Not only is he involved in this but he is one of the many ambulance chasers who help Illegal Maritime Entrants to use our legal system against us and using our money to do so. He plays the bleeding heart to perfection for those who don’t know better but those of us who have followed his career know him for what he is.
I don’t agree with your assessment of Mal Brough and his involvement with the Slipper/Ashby issue. I believe that he tried to assist Ashby in what must have been a difficult situation. If Ashby felt that he could trust Mal Brough who are we to criticise. I now that Brough shouldn’t have denied his involvement but the repercussions he envisaged have come to pass.
There is something distinctly strange about Burnside. He is the typical academic that seems removed from the real world. He likes to be moralistic about the public at large because none of his protestations affect him they only affect the people he is criticising. He doesn’t have to face the results of his views on immigration, problems with integration, racial and religious conflict are not his problem, he just sits on backside and tells us we are wrong to be concerned about these matters. We face them he doesn’t. I find this type of self serving, moralistic individual offensive.
I pop on to Kangaroo Court and find an article that is negative towards the Liberal party, after recovering from falling off my chair I find myself thinking is Mr Dowling ” fair and balanced ” after all ??
Fortunately Christopher J there are enough people in Australia who will “call” corruption, fraud, mismanagement and other transgressions no matter who commits them nor which “party” they come from. This is why governments can be changed from time to time under our political system. One of the real problems for Australia is the “rusted-on” supporter who continues to vote for their party no matter what they do or how badly they perform. In addition to swinging voters who put the best interests of Australia first when voting we are fortunate that occasionally we have a fearless person like Shane who will step up and put in words what many people think but are too afraid to say. It is enlightening to keep an open mind Christopher J. You should pop back more often and tell your friends to do the same.
The Speaker, Peter Slipper, has formally withdrawn the allegation that James Ashby “unlawfully” sent extracts of his diary to a political rival and a journalist.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/slipper-allowed-to-change-ashby-allegation-20120817-24cnq.html#ixzz23nGeY01o
Justice Rares notes that he hasn’t even heard the case yet. I wonder if he ever will?
are your comments re ashby and the slipper diaries out of date as slipper has withdrawn his claim they were stolen etc?
We have finally hit rock-bottom when it comes to any sort of political debate in Australia. The taxpayers have had their very hard earned money ripped off them to allow it to literally gurgle down the drain, with both political parties vying to hold power (at any cost), The lack of any real policy that has ended up showing any real benefits to the taxpayers has been frightening. The legislation that has ended up costing the taxpayers millions in ripoffs, and showing no obvious benefits, has been mind-boggling. This “scandal” is simply yet another detour for these “clowns”. They know that if they stay in parliament long enough they will have the last laugh on taxpayers . We are the fools who should be demonstrating against the lack of action and deceit. When do the PEOPLE take action instead of sitting back and copping it? Australians are now put last when it comes to their rights in their own country.
Agree entirely, Kaye! We’re far too complacent, but what does it take to get people on their feet, people motivated enough to do more than just comment on these blogs? In almost any other country, the population would have been in solid riotous form long before this! If Gillard should, by some miracle, survive the next election, we’ll be taken further down the road she seems to be following, to a barren, socialistic, and broken society!
Sadly, from history and what I have read people in great numbers only rise up when they go hungry! I hope and believe Australians have more foresight!