Belinda Neal is a "very difficult person" whose "strange peculiarities" have damaged the career of husband John Della Bosca, former federal Labor minister John Brown has said.
Mr Brown, who was Minister for Sport and Tourism in the Hawke government, also revealed he recently resigned from the Johnny Warren Football Foundation board because of Ms Neal, who was also a director.
"My God, you've got no idea how difficult she is, I mean, talk about turning a simple soccer board into a legal forum ... for no good reason," Mr Brown said on ABC Radio this morning.
He said Mr Della Bosca and Ms Neal were "two vastly different people", and that Mr Della Bosca had suffered for defending her over the Iguanas nightclub incident.
"I know John Della Bosca well and I don't think anybody in the world has ever been offended by John Della Bosca.
"He's a delightful person, a wonderful minister ... but his wife is a very difficult person.
"She's a very, very difficult person, and I think he's suffered very badly in protecting her.
"I feel very sorry that John has had to step aside because of the strange peculiarities of his wife.
"It's something greatly to his credit that he's remained very faithful to a woman who is very difficult."
Mr Brown's comments come as Ms Neal prepares to take her seat in Parliament today for the first time since the scandal.
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