Albanese calls on coalition to reveal role in James Ashby's accusations against Peter Slipper

ANTHONY Albanese has renewed Labor calls for the Coalition to spell out its dealings with Peter Slipper's former staffer James Ashby.

Peter Slipper and James Ashby

FEDERAL minister Anthony Albanese renewed calls for the Coalition to spell out its dealings with James Ashby, as former Liberal minister Mal Brough admitted advising Peter Slipper's accuser.

The Australian today revealed that Mr Brough, a former Howard cabinet minister, told Mr Ashby, an adviser in Mr Slipper's office, to go the police and take legal advice over his allegations of sexual harassment and misuse of taxi vouchers by Mr Slipper.

Mr Slipper stood down as Speaker last month when Mr Ashby’s claims emerged, but has denied the allegations.

Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese said today that while he empathised with someone pursuing a sexual harassment complaint, the fact that Mr Brough was seeking Liberal preselection in Mr Slipper's Queensland seat of Fisher compromised Mr Brough.

“Mr Brough, of course, has an interest ... as the candidate for Fisher,'' Mr Albanese said. “He's not Neville Nobody here, he's the person who wants Peter Slipper's seat in the federal parliament.”

Mr Albanese said that the Coalition needed to reveal its dealings with Mr Ashby.

“We need to know what was the involvement with the Coalition. Bit by bit, they say: 'Nothing to do with us','' he said.

Labor has sought to tie Opposition leader Tony Abbott and Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne to the scandal surrounding Mr Slipper.

Mr Albanese said today that Mr Pyne had already changed his story to admit that he had contacted Mr Ashby. Mr Pyne said yesterday that he had sent an email seeking the details of Mr Slipper's accuser, but had not then contacted Mr Ashby. He also confirmed last week that he had met Mr Ashby when the adviser was working in Mr Slipper's office.

In an interview with The Australian, Mr Brough said that he met Mr Ashby three times in the weeks before Mr Ashby launched his law suit against his then-boss.

"I said to him that my strong view was that you need to make sure you are on extremely strong ground because the media, the government and Mr Slipper will tear you apart," Mr Brough said that he told Mr Ashby during a second meeting in late March.

"I said that you had better know that what you are saying is true and beyond any doubt.

"And, if it is, my strong advice to you is to go to the AFP (Australian Federal Police) with your claims of criminality and you had better get yourself legal advice regarding the civil matter."

But Mr Brough dismissed as “drivel” speculation that the coalition was involved in inducing Mr Ashby to entrap Mr Slipper.