Senior Coalition figures are standing by former Howard government minister Mal Brough despite calls for him to be disendorsed because of links to a failed sexual harassment case against Peter Slipper.

On Wednesday the Federal Court dismissed the case brought against the former parliamentary speaker by one of his staff, James Ashby, declaring it was an abuse of process designed to cause "significant public, reputational and political damage".

Justice Steven Rares believed the case was designed to further the political interests of the Liberal National Party (LNP) and Mr Brough, who has been preselected as the Coalition's candidate in Mr Slipper's Sunshine Coast electorate of Fisher.

Government frontbenchers are demanding Mr Brough be dumped as a candidate and that he make a detailed explanation about his involvement in the case.

"Tony Abbott and the Coalition are pretty good at calling out members of the Government to give full explanations," Labor minister Anthony Albanese told reporters.

"Well, Mal Brough should get on a plane, go to Canberra, face the full press gallery for as long as they have questions, and answer those questions."

On Wednesday Mr Brough issued a brief statement, saying he had "acted appropriately" at all times in relation to the case and indicated he would continue to stand as a candidate.

Shadow attorney-general George Brandis has described Mr Brough as a friend and says the court made no findings that would prevent him from running for office.

"I don't think Mr Brough should be disendorsed. In fact, I think there is no possibility whatever that Mr Brough would be disendorsed," Senator Brandis told ABC News 24.

"Indeed, I think Mr Brough... will be re-elected to Parliament next year, he will be the Member for Fisher.

"He'll be a much better representative for the people of Fisher than the disgraced Peter Slipper has been, and Mr Brough I think will go on to have an illustrious future parliamentary career."

Fellow Liberal frontbencher Bruce Billson believes Mr Brough has "behaved with integrity" and says any suggestion of inappropriate conduct is "utter, utter nonsense".

Sorry, this video has expired Slipper-Ashby matter has a way to go yet: Brandis ( Lyndal Curtis )

'Australian Watergate'

Labor has stepped up its attack on the Coalition in the wake of the court ruling, with Government frontbencher Craig Emerson describing it as a "conspiracy of enormous proportions".

"Mr Abbott will hope that it simply blows away and then he can get on to his next smear campaign," Mr Emerson told AM.

"Mr Abbott will probably want to continue circling the Earth and not land and answer these basic questions: What did he know about this? What does he mean by 'no specific knowledge'?"

The Opposition Leader is on his way to the United Kingdom after making an unannounced visit to the troops in Afghanistan.

Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne has previously admitted to meeting Mr Ashby before the sexual harassment complaint was filed, but says he had "no specific knowledge" about the staffer's concerns until they appeared in newspapers.

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Fellow frontbencher Joe Hockey met Mr Brough in the lead-up to the claims being filed but says he too learned about it from the media.

"When I met with Mal Brough - as I have met with Mal Brough on numerous occasions - this matter has not been discussed, never been raised with me," he told reporters in Sydney.

"I found out about it, like the rest of Australia, on the Saturday when it was published in the newspapers."

On that morning, Mr Abbott released a lengthy statement at 9:16am, demanding the Prime Minister take action to remove Mr Slipper from the Speaker's chair.

Labor frontbencher Mike Kelly says the story "has all the hallmarks of an Australian Watergate", referring to the political scandal that ultimately led to the resignation of US president Richard Nixon.

"[The Coalition has been] very happy to go out there and conduct a campaign against Mr Slipper while the [court] process was [ongoing], now suddenly they've all gone to ground," Mr Kelly told Sky News.

"It's an amazing, hypocritical turn-around, but they need to be held to account for this conspiracy."

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'Shrill hysterics'

One of the few Coalition figures to comment publicly since the judgment was handed down has attempted to downplay the court's findings.

Mr Billson says there is no suggestion in the court's decision that any senior Coalition figure was involved in the case.

"The Government's trying to, in this shrill sort of hysterical way, trying to make it out to be some enormous conspiracy to change a government," he said.

Mr Hockey has accused the Government of "hyperventilating" over the story, declaring: "It's not some great LNP conspiracy."

Senator Brandis says he did not speak with Mr Brough while the case was underway.

Asked if any members of the Coalition frontbench talked to either Mr Brough or Mr Ashby about the case, Senator Brandis replied: "I'm sure they wouldn't have done."

Speaking after the judgment on Wednesday, Mr Ashby said he was "extremely disappointed" with the outcome and said he intended to lodge an appeal.

In May, Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr came under fire for suggesting Mr Ashby was "more rehearsed than a Kabuki actor".

On Thursday he described that as a "modest understatement".

"This has been a conspiracy, it has been a set-up, and as the judge found, it was all directed at changing the government of Australia," he told ABC Radio National.

And he says one of the disappointing outcomes of the court case has been that it has created the wrong impression of valid sexual harassment claims.

"To take an issue that can be traumatic for people in a workplace relationship is reckless," he said.

"By undermining that, it has done great harm, and I think the Government's got to seriously consider what it does now in response to that savage finding by the judge in this case.

"And Tony Abbott has got a great deal of explaining to do about the level of Coalition leadership involvement in what the judge found was a cynical political exercise to change the government of Australia."

Several Labor frontbenchers have taken a swipe at The Daily Telegraph's coverage of the story.

It revealed the initial sexual harassment claims on page one but reported the court ruling on page 17.

"This story broke, very consciously, on a Saturday morning in The Daily Telegraph - a big splash, unlike today. I note it's on page 17, after some dog riding a bike on page 15," Mr Albanese said.