From, The ABC Online. April 23, 2012
House of Representatives Speaker Peter Slipper is accused of using his office to foster sexual relationships with young male staffers, according to documents lodged with the Federal Court and made public today.
Mr Slipper’s staffer James Ashby has lodged a claim under the Fair Work Act against the Commonwealth and against Mr Slipper.
He alleges Mr Slipper made unwelcome sexual advances, comments and suggestions to him while he worked for him and stayed in his Canberra flat.
In documents made public today, Mr Ashby says officials in John Howard’s government knew as far back as 2003 that Mr Slipper – who was then a Liberal MP – “had formed a relationship of a sexual nature with a younger male member of staff” employed in his office.
The documents allege that Tony Nutt, a senior adviser to then-prime minister Mr Howard, was told of the allegations “in or around mid-2003″.
It says a former Slipper staffer, Megan Hobson, had seen a video in which Mr Slipper “was observed to”:
- …enter the bedroom of a junior staff member through the window;
- … lie on a bed with the junior male staff member in shorts and T-shirt and hug the junior male staff member in an intimate fashion;
- … urinate out of the window of the room.
The documents allege that Mr Nutt then told Ms Hobson to “forget all about it”.
“The Commonwealth thereafter failed to take reasonable and effective steps to prevent the Second Respondent [Mr Slipper] from utilising his office to foster sexual relationships with young male staff members,” the claim alleges.
The court documents also said the staffer in question showed Ms Hobson “scabs on his knuckles where he said he had recently hit a brick wall whilst defending himself against an attack by Peter Slipper during a parliamentary trip to Adelaide”.
Mr Slipper says he “emphatically denies” sexually harassing Mr Ashby.
He has stood aside from his position as Speaker while allegations of the misuse of Cabcharge vouchers are investigated by the Department of Finance.
The court documents lodged today also allege that Mr Ashby saw Mr Slipper sign a number of blank Cabcharge vouchers in January and February this year.
The Government says it is appropriate Mr Slipper stands aside for the Cabcharge investigation but not while the civil case on the sexual claims is dealt with.
This morning, Sydney’s Daily Telegraph published more allegations that Mr Slipper had breached the rules relating to MPs’ travel entitlements, saying he claimed several flights and taxi trips, mostly in 2010, which could be outside parliamentary spending rules.
I still hope we live in a country where people are innocent until proven guilty even if they’re high profile members of Parliament.
Question of confidence
Mr Slipper is yet to respond to the latest allegations but took to Twitter this morning to “thank all those who have offered strong support to [wife] Inge and me at this time”.
His dramatic decision to stand aside will put Labor back on a parliamentary knife-edge when the House of Representatives gathers next month but will not, in itself, be enough to bring down the minority Government.
Key Independent MP Rob Oakeshott says he has an open mind about a potential no confidence motion against the Speaker, but says that is a separate matter to his confidence in the minority Government.
Mr Oakeshott says he believes Mr Slipper should stand aside until the civil matter of alleged of sexual harassment is clarified.
“Between now and when Parliament returns on May 8, I think we will become a lot more clear on … whether they are malicious allegations from a former rogue employee – which happens a lot in politics – or whether there are issues of substance that do leave a case to be answered,” Mr Oakeshott said.
“He’s done the right thing in standing aside. It’s not for me or any member of Parliament to reflect on court proceedings of a criminal or civil nature, or indeed some of the moral questions as salacious and ugly as they might read in weekend newspapers.
“So I acknowledge Peter Slipper has vigorously defied all allegations against him and I would hope this is not trial by media.
“I still hope we live in a country where people are innocent until proven guilty even if they’re high profile members of Parliament.”
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has defended his party’s decision to repeatedly endorse Mr Slipper as a parliamentary candidate before he quit the Liberals to become Speaker late last year.
Mr Abbott says he had been trying to get Mr Slipper out of the Parliament before he was made Speaker but there were no formal allegations about him when he was a Coalition MP.
“There is a world of difference between a rumour and court action and there was only a formal complaint in the last few days when these court proceedings were launched,” he said.
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