Thursday 25 August 2011

Labor can't sustain MP Thomson much longer

The credit card sleaze story just keeps getting better and better, unless your name starts with Craig, or Julia.

Today the Health Services Union, who Craig Thomson headed in 2006, has dobbed him in to the Police, after they looked at more credit card records of huge dollops of cash withdrawals and no receipts.

''We know this is damaging to a Labor Government, we understand that, but our first priority is to members of the Health Services Union, not to members of the Australian Labor Party,'' Kathy Jackson of the Health Services Union said.

Thomson's name is all over the scandal, and the escort agency came out yesterday and revealed more damning facts.

During overseas trips for the Union 2004, Thomson chalked up $4,700, much of which was cash withdrawals, and a Union audit found "insufficient support for most credit card transactions" over a six-month period in 2007 while Mr Thomson was running for the seat of Dobell in Sydney.

"The executive should be aware that in the unlikely event of a GST audit by the Australian Taxation Office, replacement tax invoices may be needed," Ian Dick, principal accountant told the Health Services Union. Dick suggested Thomson covered up the purpose of the cash withdrawals.

I can't see why Gillard is holding on to this shaky MP, however the ALP have paid heaps to help defend him in the last eight months, but like all dirty laundry, it was bound to get aired eventually.

Not only in Queensland come next March, but Federal Labor has little chance of surviving.

8 comments:

Paul Drabble said...

fraud by credit card is define as using your card for your own pecuniary gain. Many in private sector have been charge and jailed for using the employers credit card for this. The card is your responsibility. Its use is your responsibility. The definition of fraud if your using union or party credit and expense accounts seems to be now treated differently to that of the private sector. Like they say on big brother.."Mr Thomson its time to leave the house." The sooner Julia wakes up to the fact this is now also impacting her credibility with the voters the sooner it will happen

KitchenSlut said...

There is not much doubt that both Guvmints will lose at the next election in both Qld and Australia. There is also no doubt that the reason Thompson is being supported is that there is no chance of the ALP winning a by-election in Dobell.

Technically, the legal requirements to expel him may take some time anyway. However, there IS a presumption of innocence. The problem for the ALP is that they have now approached this in the same way as the now demolished party in NSW.

The extreme change in the landscape is amazing in the last few years when not so long ago the Liberals were out of power everywhere. KS did how-to-votes for the LNP in 2007and is typically happier with running in the opposite direction to any herd at any time.

The most interesting post recently was last weekend from John Howard with his analysis that the ALP would have won the last election with Rudd who personally started to astray when he regarded his poll support as deep rather than broad.

That same analysis could now be directed at Abbott. There is no deep support here. Many conservatives say this is the worst Federal Guvmint since Whitlam. I disagree. It is the worst Federal Guvmint since Fraser and incompetent at delivery as they appear to have minimal understanding of a modern economy and rooted to a Trade Union ideology and power base.

However, neither does Abbott, and that is the dilemma .....

Terry Vance said...

How the media love a juicy sex scandal and milk it for all its worth. Meanwhile, Liberal Senator MARY JO FISHER has been charged with shoplifting and assaulting a security guard. She goes to trial in September. But hey, sssssshhhhhhh, not as newsworthy as sex!!!!

KitchenSlut said...

Vance, I don't believe at this stage there is a direct comparison with Fisher where the accusation is somewhat less than systematic extortion of funds? There has ben quite rapid police action on this UNLIKE Thompson?

I would note in regards to Fisher that in times past Bill Hayden's wife, Dallas, was given all benefit of doubt when caught shoplifting, at the time attributed to menopause. Perhaps that age has gone?

Perhaps a more relevant local comparison would be to request a full enquiry by ASIC into the collapse of CEC?

Terry Vance said...

Fully agree with what you said about CEC, KS. Mary Jo has been charged with assault as well, a little different from Dallas Hayden's shoftlifting.

Anonymous said...

I think the issue with Thomson cuts to the issue of trust with the public purse where there appears to be pretty serious questions already about trust with other people's money. That said, sometimes the crime is less compelling than the cover-up and here Labor is on a very slippery slope. Going on the Teeve trying to make Tony Abbott the issue here doesn't help much either. This is a crisis all of their own making and is theirs to resolve. Abbott leads the opposition, and its his job to talk about events like this.

KitchenSlut said...

Vance, I think you quible too readily. I think most rational commentary has agreed that there is no moral equivalence twixt Thomson and Fisher?

We are talking an allegation of systematic fraud v a single financially insignificant event in any kind of legal context. Graham Richardson has been pretty outspoken on how the ALP brand is being trashed by this every day with no apparent way out. NSW debacle revisited! (Note: Curiously Richo had his own prostitute scandal in the past with a white-shoe Gold Coast developer?)

My objection to the behaviour often tolerated within the Trade Union movement is that it relies on a belief from followers that they are uniquely exempt from the flaws of other institutions.

Yep, all institutions such as corporations and religions throw up some ugly things. So do Trade Unions. If you want to deny that you only do further harm. I would have thought the shovel outside the HSU rep who referred the matter to police should have been a matter of great concern? What a fantastic culture that is!

I have posted on Cairnsblog before that I was well aware in my past life in the mining industry of young male entrants being masturbated by trade union officials.

If you want to support your union do so, but please don't think that somehow your organisation has some kind of moral purity!

KitchenSlut said...

"I don't speak like that" - Tony Abbott on selling his arse?

Some of us who were at Sydney Uni in the 70's recall an Abbott who spoke much like that! I believe, if my memory is accurate for those of us who have good contacts still in the then Liberal Club, that he chose to greet the lesbians in the wimmins collective with "good morning sluts". Yes, he spoke much like that ....