Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lee Basinski on September 4, 2011 at 1:53pm

Lee Basinski said:

I have just read the Vic Parliament Hansard records from the 28th Feb 2001 and 2nd May 2001

These matters were in fact raised  at that time and Gillard named as having benefited from misappropriated AWU funds.

No wonder she has had the media gagged.

By the way Glen Milne was sacked yesterday from the ABC Insiders programe-- I have just emailed my disgust at the attempt to silence free speech and the double standards by the ABC in light of the fact that they employed former Age columnist Catherine Deveny after she was sacked by them for her rather spiteful and frankly quite disturbing tweets regarding Bindi Irwin

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Permalink Reply by Penne Kane on September 4, 2011 at 3:17pm

Well said Lee.  Totally agree regarding Deveny, a real double standard going on here.  I also was horrified at the language Deveny uses, talk about a 'shock jock' in journalism.  I am amazed Milne can be sacked from a television station, the ABC, for a newspaper column written in The Australian.  Did he offend on Insiders?  No of course not.  I refuse to watch Insiders ever again.  What would be the point! This programme is now an offence to free speech.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on September 4, 2011 at 4:00pm

The whole situation is getting grubbier by the minute -  How can The Australian Government have ANY credibility with minister like this and a prime Minister supporting him ??????

 

 

Union boss in Thomson probe has breakdown
MICHAEL BACHELARD
03 Sep, 2011 10:00 PM

KATHY Jackson, the union leader at the centre of the controversy over Labor MP Craig Thomson, has had a breakdown and been admitted to the psychiatric unit of a Melbourne hospital.


Ms Jackson's partner, Michael Lawler, confirmed yesterday that she had been ''put under medical care'' on Friday and was not capable of speaking to the media.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/union-boss-in-thomson-probe-has-brea...

 

CRAIG Thomson, the Labor MP given $150,000-plus from the ALP to pay his legal bills, has lodged plans for a $100,000 home renovation.

Council records reveal Mr Thomson and his partner Zoe Arnold lodged a development application with Wyong Council on July 27, weeks before revelations that the NSW ALP had bailed him out to avoid bankruptcy and forced resignation from parliament, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Last night the embattled MP - already under fire over accusations of union credit card misuse - was being quizzed by senior party officials after they were alerted to his planned extensions.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/broke-mp-craig-thomson-planning-100...

 

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Permalink Reply by Owen Carlton (Nasho23) on September 4, 2011 at 4:12pm

With sueing people being the flavour of the day in these liberated times, I am finding it difficult to understand why a Lawyer of such high standing, has not tried to sue Kernohan and Others, for Libel or Deformation, in relation to HER involvement in the allegations of Fraudulent Use of Union Funds and which SHE has stated are "Un True".

Is it reasonable to ask, WHY she has made no attemt to sue these people????????????

Who is she beholden to????????????????

Why is she shutting down discussion about it now????????????

Many unanswered questions remain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Ian Davies on September 4, 2011 at 4:39pm

I think you would be hard pressed to find any organisation with such a along document history of possible fraud by its officials. Robert Kernahan is realy only trying to get back Union members money missapropriated wouldn't you think that AWU members could press for charges to be laid against most in the Union upper ranks for covering up the possible fraud's.

 

The Victorian Hansard linked earlier does leave you perplexed as to why charges were not laid by the Legal & Banking systems.

 

A Major enquirey is required into the whole administration of Union funds by both the High Court & the Aus tax office with unlimited powers to extract the truth. These same organisations operate the Australian Labor Party who fight tooth & nail to run this Nation & make far reaching plans that affect all buisnesses, citizens regardless of your vote for them. About time integrity of the slush fund system was installed by a much higher authority with open & transparent Corporate style accountability for all.

 

This document was available a few days ago at the SMH site but today my link no longer worked but this one does:

http://www.fortunetellers.com.au/fortunetellers-articles/1996/7/30/...

 

Ruptured Union Seeks Enemy Within

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday July 30, 1996

By MURRAY HOGARTH

 

"Fraud against the union could easily be perpetrated on a major scale," warned the confidential Ernst & Young review of the giant, conflict-ridden "AWU-FIMEE Amalgamated Union" in May last year.

 

"If fraud has not occurred," it continued, "it would only be because of the honesty and integrity of the employees, and not because of the lack of opportunity."

 

Inside what is now just called the Australian Workers Union (AWU), Ernst & Young are looking like hotshot fortunetellers.

 

Serious financial irregularities appear to have been happening for years and what should be the best trade union trademark in the country is looking very tarnished.

 

The "WA Inc" accounts affair - as AWU insiders are calling it - represents a dynamite scandal for a trade union movement facing an aggressive, new, conservative Federal Government and ever-declining membership.

 

Between 1992 and 1995, about $370,000 flowed through two Perth-based accounts - operated in the name of the "AWU Workplace Reform Association Inc" - which, until last month, had never been heard of in the AWU's national offices in Sydney.

 

All the money came from the big construction group Thiess Contractors, which says the payments were legitimate, arising from a tripartite agreement between it, the AWU and the West Australian Government.

 

Indeed, says Thiess, the Government paid it money for an employee training program at a $58 million Thiess construction project and it then paid the AWU. But once in union hands, it seems, the funds went walkabout when the AWU branch in WA was crying poor and running up a debt with head office approaching $1 million.

 

It is now known that nearly $220,000 was withdrawn using about 40 cash cheques, ranging from $4,000 to $50,000.

 

Exactly where all the money ended up is far from clear. The man who should know, a former top official, Mr Bruce Wilson, says it is all "old hat stuff" and he has "nothing to say".

 

However, two of the so-called "WA Inc" accounts were finally emptied in April last year, when about $46,000 was paid into an even more mysterious Perth-based account called the Construction Industry Fund. It, too, is understood to have been closed this year and may have no legal connection to the union.

 

Several other cheques totalling about $35,000 were made out in 1993 to a now ex-AWU official, Mr Ralph Blewitt, and, once, about $67,000 went to the trust account of the high-profile Melbourne law firm Slater and Gordon. The timing of this payment has caught the eye of AWU bosses. It coincides with the purchase of a house in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy in Mr Blewitt's name.

 

A cheque made out to the "Slater and Gordon Trust Account" was dated five days before the firm arranged settlement on the $230,000 property.

 

The "Transfer of Land" document was signed by Mr Blewitt's "attorney" for the purchase, his then boss, Mr Wilson, whose signature also appears to be on the dozens of cheques from the "WA Inc" accounts.

 

Other records show Mr Wilson later lived in the Fitzroy house while serving first as AWU State secretary for both Victoria and Western Australia, then last year as head of the new, strife-torn National Construction Branch.

 

About a year ago, the discovery of another unauthorised bank account sparked what is now known as the "Victorian affair".

 

This account, also unknown to the national office in Sydney until it was exposed by internal union feuding, was operated through the Commonwealth Bank in Melbourne under the name "AWU Members Welfare Association No 1 Account".

 

Continued on the Link above.

 

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on September 4, 2011 at 8:34pm

 

If you are unable to use the link to Hansard,  just type "Victorian Parliament Hansard"

 into your browser,  use the "quick search" option on the left side, then type in the following in the appropriate places.

 

 

----------------------
Title AWU: funds
House ASSEMBLY
Activity Grievances
Members LEIGH
Date 28 February 2001

 

and you'll get the story that the government is trying to suppress

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Permalink Reply by Ian Davies on September 5, 2011 at 10:59am

Jan, every person should take the time to read and preasure for an enquirey with charges laid.

Its not OK for all these linked events of alledged funds misappropriation to be constantly buried by the Union/Labor party. It looks like the whole system of electionerring could also be linked with the same issues of funds used or deals done, plenty of media bits & pieces floating around to indicate many Q???.

Victoria Hansard: 

http://tex.parliament.vic.gov.au/bin/texhtmlt?form=jVicHansard.dump...(+data+contains+'Julia'%20and+data+contains+'Gillard'+)%20and+(+hdate.hdate_3+=+2001+)%20and+(+house+contains+'ASSEMBLY'+)

 

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Permalink Reply by Michael Petterson on September 6, 2011 at 12:13pm

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=112462898856469

 

When: Labour Day long weekend (ironic?) Thursday September 29th, to Monday October 2nd 2011 (or any day/s in between) What: A facebook protest to show the government that we are sick to death of their lies, we no longer have confidence in their decisions, and that we definately don't want this ridiculous carbon tax. How: On the Thursday night before the long weekend, change your profile picture to the event photo (right click, Save/As, then upload to your profile), and change your facebook status to "NO MORE LIES. NO CARBON TAX!". Leave it there until the long weekend is over, or even for just one day of the weekend. You can also link to this event if you wish. And don't forget to invite your friends. This is an online protest. You don't have to drive anywhere. You don't have to march anywhere. This is where you get to use your voice, if only for 1 weekend. With any luck, they might just notice... Apologies if you get the link to this event more than once. No spam intended

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Permalink Reply by Rory Donnellan on September 6, 2011 at 12:57pm

It may be in the national interest to get Julliar and her commie and tree-hugging mates out of office before they can push through the carbon tax scam.

Ian D said:

Integrity & National interest should be foremost. No other AGENDA boys!

Rory Donnellan said:

Any bets on another late night "assassination" from within the Labor party itself??? Mark Arbib and Bill Shorten could well be on the phone right now.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Petterson on September 6, 2011 at 1:05pm

Agreed,but just how do you go about doing that? We need a election,but they aren't going to call one as they'd get destroyed in any election right now.

Rory Donnellan said:

It may be in the national interest to get Julliar and her commie and tree-hugging mates out of office before they can push through the carbon tax scam.

Ian D said:

Integrity & National interest should be foremost. No other AGENDA boys!

Rory Donnellan said:

Any bets on another late night "assassination" from within the Labor party itself??? Mark Arbib and Bill Shorten could well be on the phone right now.

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Permalink Reply by Penne Kane on September 6, 2011 at 9:00pm

I just read on Andrew Bolt's blog that Michael Smith was suspended from 2UE this afternoon after Media Watch slammed his reporting on the Sat Dec and this whole affair.  Just where is the shutting down of the Press going to go next? 

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Permalink Reply by Ian Davies on September 6, 2011 at 10:07pm

Thats nor good for democracy in Australia. She got to go now!

Penne Kane said:

I just read on Andrew Bolt's blog that Michael Smith was suspended from 2UE this afternoon after Media Watch slammed his reporting on the Sat Dec and this whole affair.  Just where is the shutting down of the Press going to go next? 

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