The faceless men in Sussex Street should let the poor bloke quit...

The faceless men in Sussex Street should let the poor bloke quit if he so desires.

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/thomson_wants_to_quit_but_cant/

It is illegal to offer a politician an inducement for his vote. Is it illegal to offer a politician $150,000 to stay in Parliament?

THE Labor MP embroiled in the union credit card scandal told confidants he wanted to quit politics but the party wouldn't let him, sources claimed yesterday.

Close colleagues of former Health Services Union chief turned MP Craig Thomson said the scandal had all become too much for him, a source inside the party said.

"They have expressed the view he?d much prefer to go," the source said. "It would be a lot easier with his family life, but he?s not allowed to."

However, Mr Thomson said last night: "That is completely and utterly untrue and I am not resigning."

Meanwhile, Labor is struggling to explain the payout even to its own members:


The claim comes after a heated meeting of Labor officials on Friday in which NSW Labor president Michael Lee defended the party's decision to spend more than $150,000 on Mr Thomson's legal bills. Party elder and former NSW MP Johnno Johnson is among those understood to have told senior party officials that the party would not be prepared to write a "blank cheque" for Mr Thomson, after it emerged the party had funded the legal fees to stop Mr Thomson becoming "bankrupt" and being forced to resign from parliament.

The money was paid after the defamation action Mr Thomson brought against Fairfax - over allegations that when he worked for the HSU he used his credit card to hire prostitutes - was settled.

Sources said Mr Lee told the administrative committee meeting: "We can't afford a by-election. It would cost the party a lot of money, let alone the fact that we'd lose."?

But there is growing anger within the party at Sussex Street after it was revealed Mr Thomson had recently lodged a development application for a $100,000 extension to his Bateau Bay home?

Mr Thomson was telephoned by Sussex Street officials on Friday to establish why he had lodged the development application on his house, shortly after Labor agreed to pay his bills. He told the officials he had no plans to develop and simply lodged the DA so his property was worth more and he could borrow against it to pay down debts.