Tuesday 26 June 2012

What Manager of Opposition Business Christopher Pyne doesn't want canvassed in the Australian House of Representatives



In view of the high number of media requests for file access in this matter, the Court has established an online file on to which publicly accessible material has been placed and will be placed in the future. Consistent with Rule 2.32 of the Federal Court Rules 2011 restricted documents, such as affidavits and exhibits, only become public once admitted into evidence and approved by the Judge.
Material will be added here as it becomes available.  

Three excerpts from one court document now publicly available:

Ashby: Hmmm interesting. I had no idea of that rule... I bet the likes of Jacki and Bruce McIver have some influence. Jacki is definitely a key player in the party these days. To arrange a lawyer for $1 of that caliber is a big thing in my mind.
Doane: Agreed. It is also due to the barrister's ties to the LNP and the way this will tip the govt to Mal's and the LNP's advantage. Definitely a good move for us to meet with him so he gets to know us other than w the black mark from being w Peter!!

Doane: The email for Mal doesn't seem to work. I have: Mal.brough1@bigpond.com . Do you have something different?
Ashby: Whoops it's Mal.brough2@bigpond.com sorry bout that. My fault.

Doane: I want to balance your harassment charge with one of my own. He is demeaning, aggressive and w his bcc's unprofessional at the very least. However I don't want to diminish your claim in any way. As you said last night, both claims may strengthen the case. I might look for a lawyer myself if we don't have contact soon.
Ashby: Yeah I will contact Mal again today. Failing that I will make contact with someone myself as well.

Update

The Australian 27 June 2012:

LNP president Bruce McIver has conceded that Howard government minister Mal Brough approached him, and possibly party donor and mining magnate Clive Palmer, searching for a job for a Slipper staffer, believed to be Karen Doane, who in April proposed launching a harassment case against the Speaker.

The Queanbeyan Age 27 June 2012:

NEWS Limited and one of its journalists were involved in an elaborate plot to bring down parliamentary Speaker Peter Slipper, according to documents filed with the Federal Court.
The documents expose private communication between News political correspondent Steve Lewis and Mr Slipper's former staff member James Ashby, including one in which Lewis says: ''We will get him.''
The documents also reveal that News - the Australian arm of Rupert Murdoch's media empire - paid for Mr Ashby to stay in a Sydney hotel and meet Lewis on April 10 this year. In one text, the reporter told Mr Ashby: ''I will sort out payment'', and: ''Just tell hotel to book u in again and News will sort''.

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