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May 2nd, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda - Video
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Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne says he didn’t phone James Ashby to discuss an action against Slipper.
Peter Slipper drives away from the Brisbane Domestic Airport. Picture: Lisa Clarke
Source: The Courier-Mail
THE Gillard Government’s credibility has been dealt another blow after federal police decided to formally investigate claims Peter Slipper rorted Cabcharges.
Days after senior minister Anthony Albanese said Mr Slipper’s Cabcharge dockets showed “the criminal allegation is a fabrication”, the Australian Federal Police decided it had grounds to launch a criminal probe.
It came as the NSW police raided offices of the scandal-plagued Health Services Union East Branch amid claims union boss and former ALP national president Michael Williamson was caught trying to remove documents from the building.
The twin investigations threaten to compound the political damage for Julia Gillard, who distanced herself from both Mr Slipper and backbencher Craig Thomson on Sunday after previously defending them.
Mr Thomson, facing separate claims of credit card fraud when he was the national secretary of the HSU, yesterday said he was not one of the “people of interest” in the corruption investigation that sparked the raid and had not been interviewed by the police.
Ms Gillard yesterday did not comment on either investigation.
Tony Abbott accused her of hiding from the scandals that he said were “tearing apart this Government and rendering the Labor brand toxic”.
“The Prime Minister cannot wash her hands of this stinking, putrid mess,” Mr Abbott said.
But ministers Wayne Swan and Craig Emerson hit back, claiming that Opposition frontbencher Christopher Pyne colluded with Mr Slipper’s former staffer James Ashby to orchestrate the claims of sexual harassment and fraud.
Mr Pyne yesterday appeared to back down from his previous claims that he had not asked for Mr Ashby’s phone number after drinking with him about a month before he made the claims against Mr Slipper.
While he insisted he had not phoned Mr Ashby, Mr Pyne said he did not recall whether he asked for his number.
“Even if James Ashby had raised these matters with me or anyone else, well quite frankly he is within his rights to do so,” he said.
Another of the Speaker’s staff, Tim Knapp – who is facing a police inquiry into claims he misused Mr Slipper’s official fuel card – was the other witness to a meeting involving Mr Ashby.
Mr Ashby’s spokesman Anthony McClellan yesterday said his client had been formally interviewed by the AFP.
But Mr Slipper yesterday told The Courier-Mail he was yet to be interviewed.
The AFP said the formal investigation was launched “taking into account the likelihood of a criminal offence” being found against Mr Slipper, who last Thursday released a raft of Cabcharge dockets which he said cleared him of any wrong-doing.
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