I’m about to write a post that won’t necessarily make me popular, or endear me to much of the country. The following is based entirely on my own personal experiences, and judgements there in. Whether my support is wrong or right may or may not be judged by history, but I write this post as I would do so for any friend who has won my confidence: because I believe it to be right.

Peter Slipper, MP, the Federal Member for Fisher, is not the man the media is now claiming.

You may well ask what right I have to claim this, and perhaps my claim is weak. I only lived on the Sunshine Coast for 2 years, and knew him for most of that time, and I’d left by the end of 1999.

I would have stayed of course, except for two things: I’d been “made redundant” by my then main employer Bruce Laming MLA. I ended up pushed out of Bruce Laming’s office. I was seriously upset when it happened; I loved that job, and Bruce, but he didn’t agree with my politics, and so it was.

Side note: I think it’s great that his son Andrew is now a member of Federal Parliament, he’s a good bloke I first and last met over drinks at the Mooloolaba Surf Club following the 98 QLD State Election.

The second is I wrongly (now in retrospect…and besides my son) mistaking fell in love with a staffer from Western Australia. The reason I moved to WA and she didn’t move to QLD is because I’d lost my job, and at that stage she was a staff member (at 20 or 21…I don’t remember) to a Minister in the WA Court Government. Hell: she was set up far better than I was.

Peter Slipper (I’d already done maybe 7 or 8 days with him) immediately stepped into the fold when I was made “redundant” and made me his main relief staffer. It wasn’t enough to keep me there (I needed a lot more hours) but he tried. I had a pile of days in his office. Sometimes I would be there 3 times a week and after the first couple of weeks I was treated just like one of the staff.

As an impressionable young lad I can’t describe how cool it was. Oh, and this is where it gets better: I did a whole week and he took me on a sitting week to Canberra as his prime staffer. I still remember this to this day. And I can confirm: he didn’t come on to me. We did have a glass or two (well maybe a bit more) of some decent red in his office, but no, Peter Slipper didn’t come on to me at any time at all.

This media BS where he’s some sort of leering person: it’s bull shit. He couldn’t have been nicer to me and that is NOT the Peter Slipper I knew and not so much adored (that wording is wrong) but respected and liked.

So eventually I left the Sunshine Coast. But here’s where it gets better: I left because I was engaged to be married.

And I got engaged in Peter Slipper’s office. If you don’t believe me… I was interviewed the following day, and was the third story in on WIN QLD news the day after the election…apparently I was a “human interest” story.:)

My now ex-wife had a better job and so I left…and spent nearly 10 years with her before she ran off with the husband of the woman she tried to donate her eggs to in the IVF program…but that’s another story, which I’m mostly over except that she continues to ignore court ordered phone contact. We’ll leave it here and move on… 🙂

I honestly haven’t have any contact with Peter Slipper in many years. I don’t remember if I saw in 6-7 years ago, or email or similar when I was working for Geoff Prosser.I know there was some contact briefly. But that again is years and years ago.

What I will say is this: Peter Slipper, on a personal level, is a top bloke, and I honestly believe the allegations against him are pure bull shit.

I was disappointed when he left his first wife (I’d been to the house several times and knew his kids well..and his first wife was good value) but hey, who am I to judge, having been divorced as well. That’s nothing to judge Peter on.

I don’t know his current wife, although it’s possible at some stage I may have met her. As long as they are happy, good for them. Hell, I may get married for the second time in the next couple of years as well.

But lets put this down to the core of the matter.

Peter Slipper is being crucified. I’m sure of it. They’re after him because he quit the LNP to become speaker.

I’d note that I don’t necessarily support him having done that.

But likewise I know the man well enough to know that he’s not guilty of what he is being accused of now.

It’s bullshit.

And I’d say on two levels.

One, he’s an honorable guy who would never do that.

Two: even if he did, he’s too fucking smart for it to be exposed (the cabcharge part that is.)

Peter Slipper: if you read this, there are still ppl out there who have ur back.

Duncan.