gillard faces new call on 'slush fund', page-4

It seems that the chronology could as follows:

1992 - Gillard helps current boyfriend Wilson to establish a "slush fund" in WA under the name AWU Workplace Reform Association. She fills in an application form that says the association is for "work place safety". This has a PO box mailing address and two officials - Wilson and his mate Ralph Blewitt.

early 1993 - Gillard accompanies Wilson to auction of Fitzroy house. Helps with conveyancing. Acts as a witness to a POA signed by Blewitt in Perth. Gillard was not in Perth at the time and it seems backdated the document that has her signature on it.

It appears she organised a mortgage for Blewitt around the same time. She may well have seen the cheque from the "slush fund" that I understand was used as a down payment on the house.

She has since said she did not open a file at Slater & Gordon (in which she was a partner) and did not charge any fees for this work. Wilson lived in the Fiztroy house and Gillard apparently visited him there. Gillard all this time had the national office of AWU as a client but did not advise them of the Association or the house purchase.

???? At some stage Gillard split up from Wilson, allegedly because she found out about his fraudulent dealings. It seems that she did not tell her S&G partners or AWU about this information.

end of 1995 - Her partners found out about this activity. A secret interview was conducted and subsequently Gillard left the law firm.

April 1996 - The AWU leadership was only alerted to the slush fund's existence for the first time by Commonwealth Bank officer, Andrew Chalker. After that, an investigation began and some AWU officials called for a Royal Commission but nothing happened for various murky reasons.

???? At some stage the AWU head office moved its business to Maurice Blackburn where I believe Nicola Roxon was employed.