gillard faces new call on 'slush fund'

THE Coalition has suggested Julia Gillard misled parliament over an Australian Workers Union "slush fund" she helped establish for her then boyfriend in 1992.

Opposition workplace relations spokesman, Eric Abetz, today demanded a further explanation from the Prime Minister, suggesting Ms Gillard had given incorrect information to the parliament about when inquiries were first made into the fund.

Senator Abetz said there was a full 12 months between when Ms Gillard was interviewed by her then law firm Slater and Gordon over the fund in September 1995 and when the Australian Workers Union reported it to police.

"The assertion that the Prime Minister made in the parliament does not seem to gel with the chronology on the public record," he said.

"Having said that, I'm willing to give the Prime Minister the benefit is she provides a full and frank explanation to the Australian people."

Opposition Deputy leader Julie Bishop quizzed Ms Gillard in parliament last week on why she did not herself "report the fraud" involving the fund to the proper authorities.

Ms Gillard replied: "By the time the matters she refers to came to my attention, they were already the subject of inquiry."

Senator Abetz yesterday said the independents should also insist on further answers from Ms Gillard given their previous demand for a parliamentary explanation from former Labor MP Craig Thomson over his own alleged misuse of union money for cash withdrawals and prostitutes.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister declined to comment on Senator Abetz’s comments, but referred The Australian to Ms Gillard’s “many statements on the public record on this matter”.

Ms Gillard has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in relation to the AWU Workplace Reform Association which she helped establish and was never aware of its workings.

Although a Melbourne terrace house was purchased in early 1993 with money from the fund with Ms Gillard attending the auction, she has repeatedly denied any wrong doing and always insisted she knew nothing of the slush fund's workings.

The AWU leadership was only alerted to the slush fund's existence for the first time on April 13 1996 by Commonwealth Bank officer, Andrew Chalker.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/gillard-faces-new-call-on-slush-fund/story-fn59niix-1226510006918