EYE-BALL Opinion on – Mal Brough – is it replacing one crook with another –

T he Liberal National pre-selection for the Federal seat of Fisher was yesterday and Mal Brough was endorsed as the next Candidate for the next Federal Election.

It is widely accepted that the current sitting Member Peter Slipper, now an Independent after resigning from the Liberal Party earlier this year to take up the Speaker position in the HOR’s – cannot win this seat at the next election. He is still facing Legal investigations and Court proceedings over alleged ‘sexual harassment’ and ‘expense rorting’ allegations.

Mal Brough has been awaiting an opportunity to return to Federal politics and his five-year wait now rests on his pre-selection as a Liberal National Party candidate for Peter Slipper’s seat of Fisher.

Brough lost the Federal Qld seat of ‘Longman’ in the Howard 2007 election loss. The seat was won back by Liberal candidate – Roy Watt in the 2010 election.

Under Howard, Brough was a rising star and served as Minister for Families and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs in the last years of his term. He had been a MP since 1996.

He is the brother of former ‘Family Feud’ host, Sunshine Coast media celebrity, and current Channel 7 Sunshine Coast Newsreader – Rob Brough. See Mal Brough’s Wikipedia profile here …

In recent months he has been connected with the Peter Slipper affair – i.e. allegations of sexual harassment and Parliamentary expense rorting. Recent media reports have Mal Brough connected with the Slipper accuser Ashby in providing ‘advice and guidance’ in helping Ashby formulate his allegations and claims. Read this story here … and more here …

Brough has a vested interest in seeing Peter Slipper disgraced as the sitting Member in the seat he has just been pre-selected for. Why he would be so obvious in assisting Ashby against Slipper is a moot point. It does show just how desperate Brough is to get another crack at being a MP with all the perks and opportunities that presents.

Surely after 11 years and as a Minister of several different portfolios – that experience would have served him well in a search for a career in the private sector. Or, is this a case of someone who has been unable to adjust to a hand that feeds you, as opposed to a hand that has to find a way to feed itself.

Peter Slipper is the perfect example of why prospective candidates for high public office need to be vetted way beyond current standards. Perhaps the self-serving actions of Mal Brough also need to be investigated before he gets to have his name placed upon the ballot paper.

Some 300+ members attended the pre-selection meeting held yesterday. Yes that’s right, 300+ odd Liberal National Party members get to choose who represents the Liberal Nation Party for Fisher. There were 83,724 registered voters in the District of Fisher at the 2010 election. This 300 odd represents just 0.004% of the electorate – it really is a case of the extreme minority having a monster say in who gets to have a go at becoming the Federal Representative for Fisher.

I don’t know Mal Brough – only what comes via media performances and what is available via reading wider publications. Howard thought highly of him, and Tony Abbott supported him in the Fisher pre-selection vote. Malcolm Turnbull supported a different candidate as did a number of other prominent Liberal MP’s.

AN ABC story on this pre-selection victory dotted all his ‘I’s” and crossed all the “T’s” – read that story here …

But who is Mal Brough? If he can help orchestrate allegations of sexual harassment, and parliamentary expense rorting to destroy a siting MP – what else is he capable of. Voters in the electorate of Fisher need to know more.

Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam.

Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s

The EYE-BALL Opinion …

Categories: Current Affairs, Politics - Domestic, The EYE-BALL MediaZone, The EYE-BALL PoliticalZone

Comments (4)

EYE-BALL

July 30, 2012 at 3:41 pm

Latest story on the Mal Brough pre-selection has the ALP pulling out all stops to sabotage his campaign to win the seat of Fisher.

Read The Australian Story …on line here …

The Headline reads ….

FORMER Howard government minister Mal Brough believes “Labor muckrakers” are already trying to sabotage his political comeback.

Mr Brough today claimed he had a “most disturbing call” from a Brisbane journalist at 2.30pm yesterday – when the Liberal National Party preselection in Fisher had yet to conclude – alerting him to the fact “Labor muckrakers” would refer him to the Australian Federal Police if he won the seat at the federal election.

Fisher is currently held by political veteran Peter Slipper, who was an LNP member until he did a deal with the Gillard government to become speaker and then stood aside amid claims by former staffer James Ashby of sexual harassment and taxi docket fraud which have yet to be settled. … …continues …
EYE-BALL Opinion

July 31, 2012 at 1:39 pm

More on the Mal Brough pre selection – The ABC reported on a story that James Ashby had sexual relations with under aged boys 10 years or so ago … read story below:

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

| Broadcast: 30/07/2012 | Reporter: Stephen Long |

While James Ashby’s claims against Peter Slipper play out in court, fresh evidence about the accuser’s past adds a twist to the case.

Transcript

LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: The sexual harassment case against the parliamentary Speaker Peter Slipper has transfixed political watchers for much of this year. Little wonder, given the Gillard Government’s precarious state.

But as the saga has unfolded, attention has switched from the Speaker to his accuser, staffer James Ashby.

Last week we exposed the extent of political intrigue behind the case. Tonight, 7.30 can reveal that Mr Ashby is now under investigation himself over allegations of sexual relationships with 15-year-old boys. The Queensland police are examining the claims.

Stephen Long has this exclusive report.

STEPHEN LONG, REPORTER: James Ashby launched the court case that rocked the world of politics in April, claiming he was discriminated against after rejecting advances from his boss, the Speaker of the House, Peter Slipper. His legal action has divided opinion. To some, it’s an abuse of process; to others, it’s a brave man speaking out.

NICOLA ROXON, ATTORNEY-GENERAL (15th June): Clear intention to harm Mr Slipper and bring his reputation into disrepute and to assist his political opponents.

TONY ABBOTT, OPPOSITION LEADER (23rd June): There’s only one thing that really matters here: did or did not Mr Slipper sexually harass a staffer?

STEPHEN LONG: The case is murky. Hundreds of pages of evidence filed in court include numerous overtly sexual text messages between Slipper and Ashby in the months leading up to the court action, beginning before Ashby took the job.

TEXT MESSAGER (male voiceover): “Did you lose your maidenhead again?”

TEXT MESSAGER II (male voiceover): “What’s that?”

TEXT MESSAGER (male voiceover): “Your virtual hymen.”

TEXT MESSAGER II (male voiceover): “You’re weird. What’s on the agenda for this weekend?”

TEXT MESSAGER (male voiceover): “Are you offended?”

TEXT MESSAGER II (male voiceover): “No, I don’t offend that easily.”

STEPHEN LONG: But now there is a new twist in this battle of claim and counter-claim. Tonight, 7.30 can reveal that James Ashby’s own personal history is under investigation. It goes back to his time in Townsville. The North Queensland city became James Ashby’s home in 2003. He moved there from Newcastle where he’d resigned from his job as a radio DJ in controversial circumstances, convicted and fined for making threatening and abusive phone calls to a rival radio host.

In Townsville, then in his mid-20s, James Ashby met a 15-year-old boy. Nine years on, spurred by the publicity about Ashby’s sexual harassment case, that young man contacted Peter Slipper. His email to the Speaker has been obtained by 7.30.

EMAIL (male voiceover): “In 2003 I met James Ashby through a mutual friend. He was working for a radio station and in the process of moving to Townsville. We began a sexual relationship which lasted for a few weeks before James broke it off as he had started a relationship with another person which lasted two or three years. I was 15 at the time, however what we did under Queensland law cannot be consented to under the age of 18. The guy James broke it off for was also 15 at the time they began their relationship.”

STEPHEN LONG: The email went on:

EMAIL (male voiceover): “James left me feeling used and disgusted with myself.”

STEPHEN LONG: 7.30 has seen Facebook messages that James Ashby sent to the young man confirming their relationship.

JAMES ASHBY (male voiceover): “I really never gave an explanation behind me f***ing off and not saying why. Strangely enough, the reason was so pathetic but I thought I’d share it with you. Your mum freaked me out when she walked in on you and me in bed. That did my head in for some strange reason.”

STEPHEN LONG: Ashby continued the correspondence as he prepared to take on his new job.

JAMES ASHBY (male voiceover): “I start my new role as Adviser to Australia’s Speaker of the House this Friday. Shitting myself, absolutely!”

STEPHEN LONG: He went on to say …

JAMES ASHBY (male voiceover): “I have no idea why your acceptance of this half-arse explanation is needed, but maybe it’ll give me some closure for something that’s been a long-running issue for me.”

STEPHEN LONG: After the young man sent the Speaker this material, Peter Slipper urged him to take the matter to police. A few weeks later, Peter Slipper took action himself. On 26th June, Slipper wrote to Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson, forwarding the emails and Facebook messages. His letter said:

PETER SLIPPER (male voiceover): “Although the allegations that have come to light predate Mr Ashby’s employment with my office, they raise issues of possible criminal conduct. In these circumstances, I cannot ignore the allegations.”

STEPHEN LONG: Some may well question Slipper’s motivations, but the allegations are being taken seriously. Under the Queensland Criminal Code, sex with minors is an offence punishable by up to 14 years in jail. 7.30 has confirmed that police are investigating the claim that James Ashby had sex with underage boys, though it’s not yet clear whether James Ashby will have a case to answer. In a statement to 7.30, Queensland Police said:

QLD POLICE STATEMENT (female voiceover): “The Queensland Police Service is in the process of determining whether any person authorised to do so wishes to make a complaint and if that is the case whether there is the evidence to support any prosecution. We will advise in due course the outcome of that investigation.”

STEPHEN LONG: We’ve spoken to the young man who made the allegations. He didn’t want to be interviewed or to comment. James Ashby’s spokesman told 7.30, “We will not be making any comment at this stage on this issue.”

Whatever the outcome, it’s clear the fallout from the case against Peter Slipper is beyond anything anyone contemplated when it was launched with potential to damage many players from both sides of politics and beyond.

Link to on-line story …

There is another story from The Australian as well –

Mal Brough denies court claims on James Ashby

by: Matthew Franklin, Chief political correspondent
From: The Australian July 31, 2012 12:00AM

HOWARD government minister Mal Brough has contradicted court evidence over his involvement in the sexual harassment claim against stood-aside Speaker Peter Slipper.

Speaking a day after after the Liberal National Party endorsed him as its candidate in Mr Slipper’s seat of Fisher, Mr Brough staked his claim for a frontbench position in a Tony Abbott government, saying he had experience “across a number of portfolios”.

As the Opposition Leader brushed off questions about Mr Brough’s frontbench prospects, Coalition MPs speculated on where he would fit in the pecking order, already under pressure from the claims of NSW senator Arthur Sinodinos and former West Australian treasurer Christian Porter, who will contest the safe seat of Pearce.

Mr Brough’s preselection in the Queensland Sunshine Coast seat came despite claims he was involved in helping former Slipper staffer James Ashby to launch a Federal Court sexual harassment case against his former employer.

… read more …
Peta Clay

August 13, 2012 at 7:18 am

Like any good story there is always a sub-plot. The one here is that those high profile pollies including Malcolm Turnbull, Barbaraby Joyce and Joe Hockey who supported other Fisher pre-selection candidates did so to protect themselves from being pushed off the front bench in the event of Mal Brough being given a place on said bench.
And for the next sub-plot, expect Labor to throw as much dirt as it can at Brough and Fisher as Gillard and Co have to save Slippery Pete. He is their vital vote.
EYE-BALL

August 13, 2012 at 7:48 am

Welcome Peta – as a first timer thanks for your contribution.

However – do you honestly think Slipper has any chance of retaining his seat?

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