alp calls police on mal brough

MAL Brough faces a federal police investigation into allegations he encouraged former speaker Peter Slipper's staff to leak sensitive diaries in a "political conspiracy" to bring down the government.

The Gillard government has authorised a Queensland Labor MP, Graham Perrett, to refer the matter to Australian Federal Police Commissioner Tony Negus, claiming the Liberals may also have breached laws prohibiting the harming of a public official, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, or acted as an accessory to the conspiracy.

Labor accuses Mr Brough, a former Liberal minister, of "procuring" the Slipper diaries in breach of sections of the Crimes Act prohibiting unauthorised access to restricted data, an offence carrying a maximum two-year sentence.

Mr Perrett's letter also asks the AFP to investigate former Slipper staffers James Ashby, whose sexual harassment lawsuit against Mr Slipper the Federal Court threw out, and Karen Doane.

Liberal political figures also accused of involvement in a "conspiracy" to harm Mr Slipper include deputy leader Julie Bishop, frontbencher Christopher Pyne and Queensland minister Mark McArdle.

"This conspiracy involved using a fabricated sexual harassment claim to politically damage and publicly humiliate Mr Slipper," Mr Perrett wrote. "The conspiracy was designed to inflict such significant reputational, psychological and emotional harm to Mr Slipper so as to cause him to resign ... thus helping to topple the current government and install Tony Abbott (as prime minister)."

Mr Pyne said the calls for a police investigation were a "complete distraction and waste of AFP time".

Mr Brough, who plans to contest Mr Slipper's seat of Fisher at the next federal election, did not respond to The Sunday Telegraph's calls.

A spokesman for Mr Ashby said claims were based on a false assumption and went to matters whose fundamental accuracy would be tested in the upcoming appeal to the recent abuse-of-process decision.

"The Perrett letter is based on the assumption that James Ashby's claims of sexual harassment have been fabricated," a spokesman for Mr Ashby said. "This is wrong. Mr. Ashby has put forward extensive evidence to support his claim."

If Mr Brough was elected and subsequently convicted of an offence punishable by a jail term of one year or more he could be disqualified from the federal parliament.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/alp-calls-police-on-mal-brough-scandal/story-e6freuy9-1226542407719