matty wrote on Jul 6^th, 2012 at 8:47pm:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/exposed-james-ashbys-double-dea...

Exposed: James Ashby's double-dealing

JAMES Ashby actively encouraged Peter Slipper to resign from the Liberal National Party before the MP accepted the Speaker's role last year, but the media adviser continued to moonlight for the LNP despite Mr Slipper's fear that the party "was out to destroy him".
The apparent professional double-dealing led to a spectacular falling out in February between Mr Ashby and Mr Slipper, who had exchanged intensely personal emails and explicit text messages in the previous months.

Affidavits filed in the Federal Court yesterday revealed the critical role Mr Ashby played in the MP's decision to quit the LNP to become Labor's chosen Speaker of the lower house, and the extent to which both men wanted to block the possible return to parliament of Howard government minister Mal Brough, who will this weekend seek LNP preselection in Mr Slipper's seat of Fisher.

On October 10 last year, Mr Ashby wrote to Mr Slipper: "So tell me, do u want to run again or do u want to step up to speaker of the house and not bother with pre selection. I wanna know how much fight u have in u and whether I put my tactical brain into action to see u give Mal a carving up."

Mr Slipper replied: "Range of options open. But destroying Brough should happen anyway. Where did you get the idea I could become Speaker?"

Mr Ashby responded: "A tactical thought that would allow u to remain in parliament without having to have a seat. Means that u don't have to battle poo fight with Mal. SCD (the Sunshine Coast Daily) would still have a front page story for a week, but it would be a finger in the air to them, brough and anyone else who might want to c u go. Just a thought."

On the morning of November 24, the day of Mr Slipper's accession to the position of Speaker, Mr Ashby sent his boss a text congratulating him and claiming credit for the decision.

Mr Ashby: "Have u resigned from the LNP. seven local news just reported u have."

Mr Slipper: "True with regret so I can be an independent Speaker in the Westminster tradition."

Ashby: "Well done. I'm in ore (sic) of the tactical response to the pressure the LNP and its party member put u under. I will say I had this theory im my head when I text u on the 10.10.11."

Mr Ashby, who would later send extracts of Mr Slipper's diary to his chief rival Mal Brough, referred to the former federal minister as "that little f. . ker". The two seemed obsessed with the political manoeuvering of his rival.

At one point the two discuss leaking LNP material to a newspaper. Mr Ashby then suggests the possibility of Tony Abbott agreeing not to run an LNP candidate against Mr Slipper at the next election should he agree to bring down the Gillard government.

Mr Ashby's text read: "Or would you be able to convince Abbott not to run an LNP candidate against you if you brought down the government? You would effectively bring down the carbon tax too. Hmmm you're in a very powerful position Slipper; the nation is watching."

The apparent turning point for the two came on February 26 when Mr Slipper became aware of work that Mr Ashby had done on a promotional video for the LNP in the lead-up to the Queensland election.

"After the event I found out you did a video for a party that want to terminate my career without telling me which does make me feel a bit vulnerable. Having said that had I been consulted I would have encouraged you to help Andrew tho I cannot think of any other coast lnp candidate worth supporting except Steve Dickson. Happy dreams. In this job you are no longer a free agent and I get held to political account for whatever you do," Mr Slipper wrote.

Mr Ashby defended his right to work on the LNP campaign. Mr Slipper then demanded he choose between him and "those intending to destroy me".

Mr Ashby replied: "You don't get held to political account for my private life Peter. I will not have my private life managed. I would not bring you into disrepute thru my actions. If I felt my actions would impact on u or the speakers role I would resign. I am proud of the fact I took on this role against all advice from the LNP."

In reply Mr Slipper warns of "c. . .s" that would "put us out of a job" and that "you make me out to be like a guy who is being cuckolded".

After a long text argument Mr Ashby pleads to speak about the matter in person with Mr Slipper concluding: "Okay we should discuss in person however there are 2 non negotiable point (sic). Firstly you cannot have any ex cirricular (sic) POLITICAL activity without my consent and secondly I will not tolerate your working for anyone who will not support me at the next election. Otherwise it is like being married to someone who is sleeping with someone else!!!"

The documents also reveal sexually charged correspondence between the pair in the lead-up to the MP's resignation from the LNP last year. On October 25, Mr Slipper asked Mr Ashby about the sexuality of a friend of his staffer, and the nature of the relationship.