Slippergate moves to court - Abbott's travel rorts, Brough's diary request

Cripes, there's legal action aplenty happening with this Slippergate. Not the least of which involves Peter Slipper himself, and his ongoing court battle over being found guilty and forced to resign as speaker of the House over $90 worth of misused entitlements. He claims I guess he's been victimised, as Tony Abbott himself had to pay back $1,000 in travel entitlements and that was apparently the end of the matter. Until now:

Slipper is due to be sentenced later this month, after being found guilty in July of misusing his Cabcharge allowances to visit Canberra wineries in 2010 before he was speaker.

But he has already lodged an appeal and has signalled he will use press reports about Mr Abbott's repayment of travel costs after he attended former MP Sophie Mirabella's wedding in 2006.

Last year the Prime Minister repaid more than $1,000 in taxpayer-funded travel expenses he claimed when he attended the wedding.

Slipper will also call on evidence about other MPs allowed to pay back travel money to which they were not entitled.

Slipper has always questioned why his case was taken to court and he was not simply allowed to pay back the money. more

There's also this about Brough, who admitted on 60 Minutes over the weekend that he did ask for a copy of Ashby's secret diary. Now Labor is jumping up and down and has referred the matter to the federal police:

Labor has seized on Mr Brough's admission, with Queensland backbencher Graham Perrett writing to Commissioner Tony Negus, requesting the AFP "urgently conduct a formal investigation" into Mr Brough's actions.

Mr Perrett believed Mr Brough's conduct could breach the Criminal Code and Crimes Act.

"That conduct could constitute a serious crime," Mr Perrett wrote to the commissioner.

"I would urge the Australian Federal Police to proceed with its investigation immediately, especially given the risk of disappearance for vital evidence."

The AFP says it has received the Mr Perrett's letter and is "evaluating the matter".

A spokesperson said: "As this process is ongoing, it is not appropriate for the AFP to comment further."

Mr Perrett previously requested a similar investigation from the AFP in 2012. The AFP suspended its probe due to court action. Read more