Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Former political staffer James Ashby says the $200,000 that Clive Palmer claims he was asked for, to help bankroll a case against Peter Slipper, would have covered less than a fifth of Mr Ashby's court costs.
In an interview with Queensland news site The Sunshine Coast Daily, Mr Ashby defended Special Minister of State Mal Brough and described the saga as "like a bad case of herpes, it just keeps coming back".
The comments come amid increasing pressure from Labor for Mr Brough to stand aside while the Australian Federal Police investigate his role in the disclosure of the diary of Mr Slipper, a former speaker of the House of Representatives.
Mr Brough has previously admitted to encouraging Mr Ashby, a former aide to Mr Slipper, to make copies of his diary. These were then leaked to the media in a bid to damage Mr Slipper, who subsequently lost the seat of Fisher to Mr Brough at the 2013 election.
Labor used most of question time this week to focus on Mr Brough and recent raids by the AFP at his home and the home of Mr Ashby's parents.
On Wednesday, Mr Palmer used a Labor-instigated Matter of Public Importance debate to renew claims the Special Minister of State asked him to fund a $200,000 legal case to "destroy" his political rival.
"The figures that Clive Palmer is quoting from [Wednesday] wouldn't even cover a fifth of what my court costs were so I don't know where he's come up with that figure and I don't believe Mal Brough would've asked that question," Mr Ashby told The Sunshine Coast Daily.
"These words have been brought up years ago - nothing came of it then - I still strongly believe nothing will come from it in the future."
He told the paper nothing had been taken from his home during the recent searches and he believed nothing would come of it.
Mr Ashby could not "see any reason why Mr Brough should stand down".
"Yeah this is like a bad case of herpes, it just keeps coming back," he said.
"There's only one politician that I know personally on the floor of the Canberra Parliament at this point that has genuinely earnt the title of honourable and that is Mal Brough."
Labor is targeting Mr Brough in the belief that he will be their first ministerial scalp. They are also exploiting anxiety within the Coalition about Mr Turnbull's decision to restore Mr Brough to the ministry while the police investigation is ongoing.
Mr Brough was a chief backer of Mr Turnbull during the September leadership spill
