Ashby was warned off Slipper job

James Ashby was urged to turn down a job offer from Peter Slipper because the LNP turncoat's conduct would "wipe off" on him.

THE man at the centre of the Peter Slipper sleaze affair, former aide James Ashby, was urged to turn down a job offer from the Speaker because the Liberal National Party turncoat's conduct would "wipe off" on him.

The warning was issued by Mr Ashby's mentor, Valerie Bradford, after she steered him into the LNP and Mr Slipper's orbit on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

Ms Bradford, a member of the Queensland Nationals and then the merged LNP for 38 years, was a key figure in the events that culminated in Mr Ashby taking civil action in the Federal Court against Mr Slipper for claimed sexual harassment, through which allegations were made that the Speaker misused Cabcharge dockets.

Mr Slipper has denied any wrongdoing, but after losing Julia Gillard's support last Sunday he agreed to stand aside until the civil claims were resolved. He has said he will make a further statement to parliament when it resumes tomorrow for the budget session.

Labor is piling the pressure on the Coalition to detail who knew what and when of Mr Ashby's claims after Howard government minister Mal Brough told The Weekend Australian he had met the staffer three times in March and last month to discuss them.

This was before Mr Ashby's application was filed in the Federal Court on April 20 seeking orders for compensation from Mr Slipper and the federal government for sexual harassment, as well as for the Speaker to undergo anti-discrimination training and counselling.

Mr Brough said he had advised Mr Ashby to take his allegations of criminal misconduct concerning Mr Slipper's use of Cabcharge dockets to the Australian Federal Police, and to consult a lawyer on whether he had a civil case for sexual harassment.

The Prime Minister yesterday accused Mr Brough and manager of opposition business Christopher Pyne of changing their stories concerning Mr Ashby, while Foreign Minister Bob Carr earlier wrote on Twitter that the former staffer had come across as rehearsed.

Mr Ashby's spokesman, PR consultant Anthony McClellan, would not comment yesterday.

Mr Brough insisted at the weekend that his previous denial of any prior knowledge of Mr Ashby's court action was a truthful answer to a question about whether he had seen the statement of claim before it was lodged.

Tony Abbott and Mr Pyne have used identical language to say they had no "specific" prior knowledge of the allegations.

Ms Bradford recruited Mr Ashby to the LNP in February last year and insisted there was "no way he would lie or say anything that was not right".

She told The Australian she was at a dinner at Mr Ashby's home, possibly last October, also attended by Mr Slipper and his wife, Inge-Jane, when the then LNP MP and deputy speaker asked Mr Ashby to work for him.

She said Mr Ashby declined on the basis that he wanted to see through projects he had as marketing manager of a local strawberry-growing business. However, "Peter didn't let up on him and contacted him again and again," Ms Bradford said.

When Mr Ashby sought her advice, Ms Bradford urged him to turn down Mr Slipper, even though he had been offered "big money". Mr Ashby had told her his interest was in learning about politics and parliament, not the pay.

"Peter was in so much trouble and I told James it would wipe off on him," Ms Bradford said. "But James . . . is pretty good with people and said he believed he could change Peter and make him a better person."

She said after he joined Mr Slipper's staff she got a telephone call from Mr Ashby in Canberra and she "could tell something was bothering him". He phoned again, "a bit distressed", and told her of the "shower incident" he would detail in his statement of claim to the Federal Court, alleging that Mr Slipper had urged him to leave the door open while showering at his Canberra home.

Mr Slipper has denied this.

Ms Bradford said she suggested Ms Ashby should approach Mr Brough for advice, despite having "had their issues" over the LNP merger in Queensland.