Tony Abbott has been forced to demote his director of policy, Mark Roberts, after the top-level staffer threatened to use his position in a future Abbott government to ensure a cut in funding to an indigenous education body.
It has been alleged he also offered to leak information from Mr Abbott's office to a journalist in exchange for keeping the original threat quiet.
The demotion came after a day of mounting pressure which began with the Opposition Leader summarily declaring the matter closed on Friday morning - well before most of the details were even public.
Mr Abbott's initial containment strategy followed a cursory internal review, and came before the identity of the staffer involved was known by reporters.
Journalist and Sky News commentator Peter Van Onselen had used Twitter on Thursday evening to report that a senior member of Mr Abbott's staff had threatened to cut the throat of funding to a non-government organisation.
''A Tony Abbott staffer told an eminent Australian that he would 'cut his throat' once 'we' are in government … Much, much more to it …'' he tweeted.
Mr Van Onselen later claimed that an ''intoxicated'' Dr Roberts had approached himself and Andrew Penfold, head of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation, at a Qantas-Emirates function in Sydney. Mr Van Onselen claimed that during the ensuing conversation, the adviser had been ''deliberately unpleasant'' and was heard telling Mr Penfold that his organisation's public funding would have its ''throat'' cut under an Abbott Coalition government.
The journalist also claimed others witnessed Dr Roberts' use of a threatening physical gesture representing a throat being cut during the exchange.
But his most serious allegation was the claim that Dr Roberts subsequently offered to become a source of stories from inside the Abbott office for Mr Van Onselen if the throat-cutting conversation went unreported.
''Abbott's staffer knew I heard the conversation, bailed me up & offered to be a source inside TA's office if I stayed quiet …'' Mr Van Onselen tweeted on Thursday night within minutes of the exchanges.
Refusing to provide details, Mr Abbott initially tried to ride out the storm, confirming only that there had been an ''unfortunate'' exchange the night before, that it was ''out of character'' for the unnamed staff member, who had since apologised, and that the particular wording regarding throat-cutting was contested.
That vagueness appeared at odds with the demands he made of Prime Minister Julia Gillard early last year, when a junior staff member of hers was accused of fomenting dissent among indigenous protesters.
'Exactly what did her staffer say? Exactly to whom did her staffer say it? And who instructed the staffer to say what he did? She really owes us a full explanation,'' he said of Ms Gillard following the Australia Day fracas.
By 3.30pm on Friday, however, and by then facing a barrage of questions from media, Mr Abbott issued a short statement acknowledging the incident had been more serious after all.
''As a result of the investigation, Dr Roberts has been demoted from his role as director of policy,'' it said in part.
''The contact last evening was initiated by Dr Roberts and in no way reflects on the individual concerned or the organisation he represents.''
http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/1445393/abbott-demotes-policy-director-who-made-threat/?cs=7
