AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald
[with video]
Lenore Taylor
The statement last night by Tony Nutt, a former advisor to John Howard, is a timely reminder of exactly what Mr Slipper is charged with, and what he isn’t.
Mr James Hunter Ashby’s claim is about sexual harassment. It deserves to be taken seriously. It will be heard in court.
But Mr Slipper is not on trial – at least not in any court – for the allegation that he sought sexual relationships outside his marriage, however distasteful people might find that idea.
The lawsuit is not about consensual extra-marital sex, gay or straight. But the allegation that a conservative MP, married to a woman, who serves as a priest in the Anglican High church, sought a homosexual affair does seem to be a big part of the charges being debated in the court of public opinion.
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