ATTORNEY-General Nicola Roxon has admitted being briefed on the lurid text messages that brought down Peter Slipper as Speaker before lodging court action claiming the case against him was vexatious four months ago.

After days of claiming that legal professional privilege prevented her from saying when she first knew of the messages, Ms Roxon last night confirmed she learnt of them between May 28 and June 15 when the government filed its application to have the case struck out claiming it was an abuse of process.

"Yes, we were certainly aware of the range of material that was provided," she told ABC's 7.30 Report.

Asked why the government tried to stop staffer James Ashby's sexual harassment case given the material, Ms Roxon said the vexatious application had nothing to do with the substance of allegations against Mr Slipper such as the content of the text.

"You can make an application that a matter is vexatious because it is bought from improper purpose it doesn't go to the content or the substance of the claim before the court," she said.

Her admission means Ms Roxon had known for four months about Mr Slipper's vulgar texts as she and other ministers pursued Mr Ashby publicly, supported Mr Slipper staying Speaker and also separately attacked Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

It emerged yesterday Mr Slipper was choosing an artist for an official portrait, to cost taxpayers more than $30,000.

Roxon makes me physically iol. She goes on and on about Abbott's (not true) misogyny yet says no thing about an actual misogynist all due to political expediency. I didn't hear her rubbish Gillard for turning her back on Abbott either.

rabbitoh07 wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 12:48am:

I am sure many knew that he had an incident he was found not guilty of.

Next.

sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 21^st, 2012 at 11:12pm:


But it's okay to slander Abbott over something that one woman claims occurred 30 very long years ago and of which no proof whatsoever has been offered or produced??? There's a name for fools like you - hypocritical.

2A393A3A312C3730686F580 link=1350823219/4#4 date=1350830934]How long have people in the Liberal Party known of Abbotts indecent assault charge and accusations by witnesses that he punched the wall next to a woman's head? [/quote]






sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 21^st, 2012 at 11:12pm:




35 very very very very very looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooog years ago......


longer ago even than when gillard was young and naive....

progressiveslol wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 1:35am:

RIght.  Just like Slipper.  Got it.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 5:52am:


I don't really understand what the point of your statement was with respect to counteracting the fact the LIBERALS KNEW ABOUT SLIPPERS INDISCRETIONS FOR 9 LONG YEARS, but I guess we can talk about Tony's fisting experiences too.  See, 3 witnesses and Tony can't explain.  All Tony can do is first deny it ever happened, then tell us it was Labor's Dirt Unit, and THEN get Margie to tell us how good a husband he is.  If Tony ACTUALLY explained what had happened, like Gillard did, perhaps it would be a non-issue. But instead Tony went into hiding.