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Ashby ‘a decent man in impossible position’: PM

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has backed James Ashby as a “decent man” and declared the saga involving the former staffer to ex-Speaker Peter Slipper over.

Mr Ashby told Nine Network on Sunday that Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne said he would have a job in the party network and the services of a lawyer after he came forward with sexual harassment allegations against his then-boss Mr Slipper.

Mr Pyne, now education minister, confirmed he met Mr Ashby in 2012 but said he had no specific knowledge of the allegations made by Mr Ashby until his court action was reported in the media.

Slipper staffer’s Pyne allegations

Mr Ashby told the 60 Minutes program he twice “secretly” met federal Liberal MP Wyatt Roy to seek advice about a series of text messages sent by Mr Slipper and alleged incidents of sexual harassment.

Mr Roy allegedly told Mr Ashby a lawyer would be paid for within 24 hours to help him lodge a complaint against Mr Slipper.

AAP Images

Government frontbencher Christopher Pyne. Photo: AAP

Mr Ashby said he went to confirm this with Mr Pyne, who promised he would “have a job in state Liberal-National politics or federal” if he wanted it.

On Monday, the prime minister told reporters he stood by everything he previously about the case and was confident Mr Pyne would do the same.

“Mr Ashby did what he did because he thought it was the right thing to do,” Mr Abbott said in Queanbeyan.

“He believed that he had been treated in a way which was not only completely improper and wrong and despicable, but contrary to law.”

Mr Ashby was “a decent man who had been put into an impossible position”, Mr Abbott said.

The prime minister said the “squalid, sordid, miserable period” had been before the courts and was now “over”.

Labor frontbencher Andrew Leigh said it looked like Mr Pyne had struck a deal with Mr Ashby to bring down the former speaker.

“It appears to be a case of `help us get one of our enemies and we’ll assist you’,” Dr Leigh told Sky News.

Mr Slipper had resigned from the Liberal party to sit as an independent speaker in the house after being approached by the then-Labor minority government.

However, Environment Minister Greg Hunt said Mr Ashby’s claim appeared to run counter to an affidavit the former staffer presented in court proceedings against Mr Slipper.

“I can’t imagine someone would say one thing to the court and another thing privately,” Mr Hunt told ABC radio.

“I back Christopher’s view of this 100 per cent.”

peter-slipper

Former MP Peter Slipper.

Mr Slipper’s lawyer, Simon Berry, pointed to inconsistencies in Mr Ashby’s affidavit and what he told the TV program.

“There appears to be a whole lot more evidence that wasn’t in his affidavit that … probably should have been in the affidavit,” Mr Berry told the ABC.

Mr Ashby announced in June he was ending legal action against Mr Slipper over sexual harassment and breach of contract.

Mr Slipper said he had been vindicated although the stress from the case had been “immeasurable and irreparable”.

Queensland’s Liberal National Party said it knew nothing about Mr Ashby’s claim of a job offer at state level.

“The LNP has never considered Mr Ashby for a role with any state politician,” a spokesman for the party told AAP in a statement.

“Nor has the LNP been asked to consider him for any position.”

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