Peter Slipper argues case against him violates parliamentary privilege
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Version 0 of 1. Former parliamentary Speaker Peter Slipper has asked an ACT court to throw out charges that he misused Commonwealth supplied taxi vouchers to visit local Canberra wineries. At the opening of his trial in the ACT magistrates court on Monday, Slipper's counsel Kylie Weston-Scheuber argued the case could violate parliamentary privilege and was an abuse of process. Slipper is facing three charges of dishonestly causing a loss to the Commonwealth, relating to the use of Cabcharge vouchers to pay for trips to local wineries during his time as an MP in 2010, before he became Speaker, and while he was a member of the Liberal National party. He has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors would need to prove the trips to the wineries were not done on parliamentary business, Weston-Scheuber said. She asked Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker for a permanent stay of proceedings, and said the rules of parliamentary privilege meant she would be unable to question witnesses about the conversations or activities of Slipper during the trips. "The basis of the application is that the proceedings would constitute an abuse of process as Slipper would be unable to receive a fair hearing," Weston-Scheuber said. She said Slipper had no right to waive privilege, as it was the privilege of the federal parliament. Weston-Scheuber also said the prosecution case relied upon the trips being outside of parliamentary business. But she said the rules of MP travel entitlements did not define what constitutes parliamentary business. The case was adjourned until mid-afternoon. Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |