Shorten denies that taking a donation from Unibuilt weakened the negotiating position of the AWU when it was negotiating a new EBA. The deal was good, he insists. “I don’t think there is any evidence this was a bad agreement.”
UPDATE
By September Shorten says he was campaigning “pretty much full time” for the election. As the AWU national secretary?
UPDATE
Unibuilt did not pay the AWU’s last invoice for $12,700 for Shorten’s campaign director. Shorten assumes the AWU wore it. “The AWU was very supportive ... of my campaign.”
UPDATE Counsel assisting the commission, Jeremy Stoljar, adds up the donation from Unibuilt for his campaign director was about $40,000 (plus the $12,700 worn by the AWU when Unibuilt did not pay). Did he declare this donation to the Australian Electoral Commission?
Shorten says this has been brought to his attention “in the last few days”. The donation is missing from his signed declaration at the time. “There was an incomplete form sent to the ALP office.... and we have now updated it… within the last 144 hours.”
Ouch - Shorten is hurt: Counsel: “Your proposition as I understand it, from your evidence this morning is that the $40,000-odd that Unibilt supplied to acquire Lance Wilson’s services was some form of donation. Did you declare that to the AEC, for example?”
Shorten: “Well, it’s come to my attention that the declaration hasn’t been made until very recently.”
Counsel: “Well, when you say very recently, what do you mean by that?” Shorten: “In the last few days.”
