Pyne sent aide email after drinks


http://images.smh.com.au/file/2012/05/17/3301877/pyneemail.pdf?rand=133718046231...

THE opposition powerbroker Christopher Pyne made direct email contact with the Peter Slipper aide James Ashby within minutes of leaving late-night drinks in the Speaker's office earlier this year.

PDF: the email
The revelation contradicts the impression Mr Pyne has given about his dealings with Mr Ashby, whose legal action against Mr Slipper for alleged sexual harassment has undermined Julia Gillard's already fragile majority.

Mr Pyne told the Herald earlier this month that he had ''no reason'' to contact Mr Ashby after the meeting, and has been widely quoted as saying that ''I did not email Mr Ashby after March 19''.

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The Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, said on May 4 that ''there was no contact whatsoever after that drink, apparently, in Peter Slipper's office''.

But the Herald can reveal that Mr Pyne sent a cryptic email to Mr Ashby late on the night of March 19.

''You see, only aph [Australian Parliament House] address,'' Mr Pyne wrote to Mr Ashby at 11.03pm.

Half an hour later, Mr Ashby replied: ''Good having a beer tonight ''

The Herald revealed two weeks ago that on the night of March 19, Mr Pyne spent almost two hours drinking and chatting with Mr Ashby and another Slipper aide in the Speaker's office.

Mr Pyne initially told the Herald: ''I don't remember ever having asked for Mr Ashby's number,'' before altering his statement to say he could ''not remember''.

Mr Pyne altered his recollection when the existence of an email he sent asking for Mr Ashby's email address - and a subsequent text message - was revealed by Fairfax Media.

''I don't remember asking for those, but by the same token I could well have,'' he said the following day.

Speaking on ABC radio last week, Mr Pyne refused on seven occasions to clarify his contact with Mr Ashby. But he maintained he had ''never had any contact of any nature with James Ashby in relation to the Federal Court action'' Mr Ashby has taken against Mr Slipper.

The latest email will add further fuel to claims made by Labor that Mr Pyne and others in the Coalition had prior knowledge of Mr Ashby's sexual harassment claim lodged against Mr Slipper, which has forced Mr Slipper to stand aside as Speaker.

Claims of Coalition involvement escalated when the Herald subsequently revealed that the former Howard government minister and Slipper rival, Mal Brough, met Mr Ashby on the Sunshine Coast while the aide was still in the Speaker's employment.

Mr Brough revealed he urged Mr Ashby to seek legal advice over his claims of sexual harassment and travel fraud.

The evidence of Mr Pyne's email to the Slipper aide comes as Mr Ashby confirmed he would not proceed with allegations about misuse of Cabcharge vouchers by his boss, Mr Slipper, to avoid any delay in the court's consideration of his civil claim of sexual harassment and discrimination.

Mr Pyne's office refused to comment last night. He is the member for Sturt.


http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/pyne-sent-aide-email-after-drinks-2...

They are all lying bastards.  What did you expect. One side honest, and one not ?

Give me a break.

SO WHAT???? IS IT AS BAD AS

i HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG....

THERE WILL BE NO CARBON TAX UNDER A GOVT I LEAD...


god lets hope you can come up with better than this before the election..

we enjoy rubbing your noses in the lies from the left...

but its wearing a bit thin..

Wow that pdf is such a revelation lol

No contact after march 19.

This was true.  He made contact on March 19.

Devil in the detail.

I read the article, and nowhere do I see any lie. Try again, loser lefties!

____ wrote on May 17^th, 2012 at 10:54am:


"I have never had any discussions with James Ashby about these Federal Court matters," Mr Pyne told ABC radio in Adelaide on Wednesday.

By the way, I am not a dude.

Dnarever wrote on May 17^th, 2012 at 11:40am:


Very classy of you, to imply that Pyne is a closeted gay, and after some action.