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| Peter Slipper case dismissed in sequel to Julia Gillard misogyny speech | Peter Slipper case dismissed in sequel to Julia Gillard misogyny speech |
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| An Australian judge has dismissed a sexual harassment case against Peter Slipper, the former Speaker of the Australian parliament who was forced to step down in October over the allegations. The case brought by a former aide was the spark for a fiery speech in which the prime minister, Julia Gillard, accused the country's opposition leader of misogyny. Justice Steve Rares of the federal court said the case against Slipper was an abuse of process, launched for political reasons and designed to cause him "significant public, reputational and political damage". | An Australian judge has dismissed a sexual harassment case against Peter Slipper, the former Speaker of the Australian parliament who was forced to step down in October over the allegations. The case brought by a former aide was the spark for a fiery speech in which the prime minister, Julia Gillard, accused the country's opposition leader of misogyny. Justice Steve Rares of the federal court said the case against Slipper was an abuse of process, launched for political reasons and designed to cause him "significant public, reputational and political damage". |
| "To allow these proceedings to remain in the court would bring the administration of justice into disrepute among right-thinking people and would be manifestly unfair to Mr Slipper," the judge said. | "To allow these proceedings to remain in the court would bring the administration of justice into disrepute among right-thinking people and would be manifestly unfair to Mr Slipper," the judge said. |
| The claims had been brought by to court by Slipper's former parliamentary staffer James Ashby, who had accused him of harassment, including that Slipper had made unwanted sexual comments towards Ashby and encouraged him to shower with the door open while staying at Slipper's flat. | The claims had been brought by to court by Slipper's former parliamentary staffer James Ashby, who had accused him of harassment, including that Slipper had made unwanted sexual comments towards Ashby and encouraged him to shower with the door open while staying at Slipper's flat. |
| During the court case it was revealed that Slipper had sent Ashby vulgar text messages in which he described female genitalia as looking like "a mussel removed from its shell". | During the court case it was revealed that Slipper had sent Ashby vulgar text messages in which he described female genitalia as looking like "a mussel removed from its shell". |
| "Look at a bottle of mussel meat! Salty cunts in brine!" Slipper texted. "Been to thw [sic] fish shop yet to buy the bottle of shell less mussells [sic]?" a Slipper text said. On the day of Gillard's now famous misogyny speech, the opposition leader, Tony Abbott, used the text messages to accuse the prime minister of effectively being as bad as Slipper if she did not sack him from his job running parliament. "This Speaker's actions are this prime minister's responsibility and this Speaker's standards perforce are this prime minister's standards, unless she has the responsibility and the decency to remove this Speaker from this high office," Abbott told parliament. A visibly furious Gillard rounded on Abbott: "I say to the leader of the opposition I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. Not now, not ever." | "Look at a bottle of mussel meat! Salty cunts in brine!" Slipper texted. "Been to thw [sic] fish shop yet to buy the bottle of shell less mussells [sic]?" a Slipper text said. On the day of Gillard's now famous misogyny speech, the opposition leader, Tony Abbott, used the text messages to accuse the prime minister of effectively being as bad as Slipper if she did not sack him from his job running parliament. "This Speaker's actions are this prime minister's responsibility and this Speaker's standards perforce are this prime minister's standards, unless she has the responsibility and the decency to remove this Speaker from this high office," Abbott told parliament. A visibly furious Gillard rounded on Abbott: "I say to the leader of the opposition I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. Not now, not ever." |
| Gillard said if Abbott wanted to know what misogyny looked like in modern Australia he should look in a mirror, and went on to denounce him for what she deemed his numerous sexist and misogynist remarks, including telling her to "make an honest woman of herself". The speech reverberated around the world but many in the Canberra press gallery suggested the fact that it had been made in defence of Peter Slipper would weaken Gillard politically. Opinion polls showed it did not. In court on Wednesday, Rares ruled that the sexual harassment case against Slipper had been brought in order to damage him politically. The judgment is damaging for the opposition coalition led by Abbott, with one of his allies, Mal Brough, a bitter rival of Slipper, deemed by the judge to have taken part in the judicial abuse of process. When Slipper took the Speaker's chair he resigned from the Liberal party and became an independent. Brough then won Liberal party preselection for Slipper's parliamentary seat, having tried unsuccessfully in the past to oust Slipper as candidate. | Gillard said if Abbott wanted to know what misogyny looked like in modern Australia he should look in a mirror, and went on to denounce him for what she deemed his numerous sexist and misogynist remarks, including telling her to "make an honest woman of herself". The speech reverberated around the world but many in the Canberra press gallery suggested the fact that it had been made in defence of Peter Slipper would weaken Gillard politically. Opinion polls showed it did not. In court on Wednesday, Rares ruled that the sexual harassment case against Slipper had been brought in order to damage him politically. The judgment is damaging for the opposition coalition led by Abbott, with one of his allies, Mal Brough, a bitter rival of Slipper, deemed by the judge to have taken part in the judicial abuse of process. When Slipper took the Speaker's chair he resigned from the Liberal party and became an independent. Brough then won Liberal party preselection for Slipper's parliamentary seat, having tried unsuccessfully in the past to oust Slipper as candidate. |
| Brough helped Ashby take his claims to court and assisted him and another former Slipper aide, Karen Doane, to find jobs within the Liberals' sister party the LNP, the judge said. | Brough helped Ashby take his claims to court and assisted him and another former Slipper aide, Karen Doane, to find jobs within the Liberals' sister party the LNP, the judge said. |
| "The evidence established that Mr Ashby acted in combination with Ms Doane and Mr Brough when commencing the proceedings in order to advance the interests of the LNP and Mr Brough," Justice Rares said. | "The evidence established that Mr Ashby acted in combination with Ms Doane and Mr Brough when commencing the proceedings in order to advance the interests of the LNP and Mr Brough," Justice Rares said. |
| "Mr Ashby and Ms Doane set out to use the proceedings as part of their means to enhance or promote their prospects of advancement or preferment by the LNP [Liberal-National party], including using Mr Brough to assist them in doing so." | "Mr Ashby and Ms Doane set out to use the proceedings as part of their means to enhance or promote their prospects of advancement or preferment by the LNP [Liberal-National party], including using Mr Brough to assist them in doing so." |
| "I have reached the firm conclusion that Mr Ashby's predominant purpose for bringing these proceedings was to pursue a political attack against Mr Slipper and not to vindicate any legal claim he may have," Rares wrote in his decision. Rares did not rule on whether Slipper was guilty of sexual harassment. The judge ordered Ashby to pay Slipper's legal costs. In a statement, Slipper, who is married, said he felt vindicated. "I have always maintained that Mr Ashby's application was about manipulating the justice system to inflict damage on my reputation and political career and to advance the interests of the Liberal-National party." Slipper's removal from the chair was politically advantageous for the opposition Liberal party because the government was forced to make one of its own MPs the new Speaker, depriving it of a crucial vote in a hung parliament. James Ashby said he intended to appeal against the judgment. | "I have reached the firm conclusion that Mr Ashby's predominant purpose for bringing these proceedings was to pursue a political attack against Mr Slipper and not to vindicate any legal claim he may have," Rares wrote in his decision. Rares did not rule on whether Slipper was guilty of sexual harassment. The judge ordered Ashby to pay Slipper's legal costs. In a statement, Slipper, who is married, said he felt vindicated. "I have always maintained that Mr Ashby's application was about manipulating the justice system to inflict damage on my reputation and political career and to advance the interests of the Liberal-National party." Slipper's removal from the chair was politically advantageous for the opposition Liberal party because the government was forced to make one of its own MPs the new Speaker, depriving it of a crucial vote in a hung parliament. James Ashby said he intended to appeal against the judgment. |
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