This morning, Ms Gillard told reporters in Singapore that Mr Slipper had made the right decision to step aside from the Speaker's job while criminal charges about his possible misuse of taxpayer-funded Cabcharges are being investigated.

But she said that she had supported him to replace Harry Jenkins as Speaker last November because of his ability to control the parliament.

“I formed a professional judgment about Mr Slipper's ability to act as speaker in the parliamentary chamber and control the parliament in question time,” Ms Gillard said.

Ms Gillard said that she did not know Mr Slipper "personally" or "well" but that his appointment as speaker – which provided the government with an extra vote – had enabled Labor to pass key reforms, such as means testing the private health insurance rebate.

Ms Gillard also said that the circumstances around Mr Slipper were different from the case of the Labor MP Craig Thomson, who has been facing allegations of misusing his union credit card when he was the national secretary of the Health Services Union.

“Mr Thomson is a backbench member, he is not a parliamentary office holder,” she said.

The Leader of the House, Anthony Albanese, said that the government would support Mr Slipper's return to the Speaker's chair if he was cleared of the travel rorts allegations, even if separate civil proceedings over his alleged sexual harassment of a male staffer were not resolved.

"It is appropriate we have some regard for the rule of law," Mr Albanese told ABC radio. "Every Australian would have respect for that."

But the Opposition is calling for Mr Slipper to stand aside until he has been cleared of all the allegations against him, as the embattled Speaker faces new claims of travel rorts.

This morning, Manager of Opposition Business, Christopher Pyne, insisted that Mr Slipper stand down until he is also cleared of civil charges, relating to allegations that he sexually harassed his staffer, James Ashby, 33.

"Both the civil and criminal allegations are very, very serious," he told ABC radio this morning.

Mr Slipper has insisted that he is innocent and is hopeful he will be cleared of the Cabcharge allegations by the time that parliament resumes for the budget on May 8.

This morning, Federal Court documents have been released, outlining the details of Mr Ashby's claims against Mr Slipper.

In an application filed with the Federal Court on Friday, Mr Slipper is accused of "unwelcome sexual advances, unwelcome sexual comments and unwelcome suggestions of a sexual nature" towards his staffer Mr Ashby.

Mr Slipper has also been accused of "using his position to pursue relationships of a sexual nature with young male employees".

This comes amid new allegations of travel rorts against Mr Slipper.

Today, the Daily Telegraph outlined a raft of new allegations, dating from early 2010 to mid-2011, before Mr Slipper was appointed to the speakership and when he was still a member of the Liberal National Party.

These include the allegations that in March 2010 Mr Slipper spent more than $3000 of taxpayer funds to help a friend campaign in the Tasmanian state election, and that in June 2011, he racked up an $83 taxi charge in Townsville, even though he was in Canberra at the time.

It was also reported that one of Mr Slipper's advisers, Tim Knapp, was being questioned by the Australian Federal Police over the use of Mr Slipper's Commonwealth fuel card and allegations of rorting leave entitlements.

Mr Pyne has also called on the government to help resolve the matter by going to an election.

"The government could put the public out of its misery by calling an election so at least one party had a clear mandate in the House of Representatives in order to get on and govern this country in the way it deserves," Mr Pyne said.

But Mr Pyne would not be drawn on whether the Coalition was planning a vote of no confidence against Mr Slipper if he returns to the speakership.

"What we do in terms of tactics in the Parliament will become apparent at the appropriate time," he said.

For a vote to be successful, the Coalition would need the support of an independent – either Tony Windsor or Rob Oakeshott.

This morning, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said Mr Windsor and Mr Oakeshott should be questioning their support for the government.

"The question has to be put to Mr Windsor and Mr Oakeshott, upon whom this government's survival depends," Mr Abbott told Channel 7.

This morning, Mr Windsor said he was not going to "pre-empt or prejudge" the investigations into Mr Slipper.

"I think technically in the Parliament he's been doing a pretty good job as speaker," he told Sky News.

But Mr Windsor acknowledged that if the allegations were found to be true, Mr Slipper would be in "some degree of strife".

This afternoon, Mr Oakeshott said that all the facts were needed before people reached a consensus on Mr Slipper.

"We need to allow the federal court filing to play itself out," he told ABC radio.

Tasmanian Independent Andrew Wilkie, who in January tore up his agreement to support the government over lapsed pokies reform, is also yet to comment publicly on his intentions.

But yesterday, Mr Wilkie welcomed Mr Slipper's decision to vacate the Speaker's chair.

"Mr Slipper has done the right thing, because remaining in the chair would have been entirely improper," he said in a statement.

This morning, the embattled Speaker sent a message of thanks to his 3500 Twitter followers. "Thanks to all those who have offered strong support to [wife] Inge and me at this time," Mr Slipper tweeted. "Much appreciated."

The Victorian Labor opposition has waded into the Slipper affair, demanding that Tony Nutt, who is now Premier Ted Baillieu's chief of staff, detail his knowledge of an alleged incident involving the embattled Queensland MP and a staffer in 2003.

The incidents are detailed in the federal court documents lodged against Mr Slipper by Mr Ashby.

It is alleged that in mid-2003, a female staff member in Mr Slipper's office approached Mr Nutt with concerns about a video she had seen of Mr Slipper climbing through the bedroom window of a junior male staff member and lying on the bed with him in an intimate fashion.

Mr Nutt, who was then a Howard government adviser, allegedly told the female staff member to ''forget all about it''.

But the Victorian opposition's scrutiny of government spokesman, Martin Pakula, said today Mr Nutt had a responsibility to immediately provide an explanation.

''Mr Nutt needs to give a full account of his actions and I think he needs to do that within the next 24 hours,'' he said. ''These are quite serious accusations.''

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