Cost of Fair Work Australia’s pursuit of Craig Thomson and the...

Cost of Fair Work Australia’s pursuit of Craig Thomson and the Health Service Union hits $2.5m
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THE Fair Work Commission has spent $2.5 million pursuing the Health Services Union and its one-time national secretary Craig Thomson.

And it might need a further $150,000 if it takes Thomson to court.

Liberal Helen Kroger described the multi-million dollar figure as “breathtaking” during a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra today, after she queried how much the commission had spent investigating the former Labor MP and union.

Head of the industrial watchdog, Bernadette O'Neill, told the hearing that amounts of $1,193,055 and $412,000 had been spent on external legal costs during its investigation of the HSU, including Thomson.

A further $906,279 had been spent on its ongoing civil case against Thomson, she said.

If those proceedings went to trial the commission expected to fork out another $100,000 to $150,000.

“So I'm just doing a quick arithmetic here,” Senator Kroger said, calculating the costs so far were more than $2.5 million. Correct, Ms O'Neil said provided it was understood that pursuing the investigation was not confined to Mr Thomson.

Earlier in February Thomson was convicted of multiple dishonesty offences over the use of his union credit card to pay for prostitutes and make cash withdrawals.

Another former HSU national secretary Michael Williamson last year pleaded guilty to defrauding the union of almost $1 million.
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One wonders where common sense starts to prevail.