Gillard, Shorten and Melhem must provide full explanation on slush-fund 13/12/12
Revelations today that Ms Gillard was told the purpose of the AWU slush-fund, Industry 2020, for which she helped raised money contradicts protestations by her office that she knew nothing. Reports that Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten was deeply involved with the slush-fund, attending fundraisers, and these funds then being used to support Victorian Labor Right candidates in union elections, demands a full explanation. Furthermore revelations that Ms Gillard’s speech was entitled “Address to the Australian Workers Union Industry 2020 Lunch” exposes Mr Melhem when he claims the fund had no formal link to the AWU. “How could Ms Gillard have known unless she was told?” Senator Abetz said today. “Ms Gillard, Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten and AWU Victorian Branch Secretary Cesar Melhem must provide a detailed explanation of what’s gone on here. At the very least they should try and get their stories straight before giving commentary to the media.” “These allegations are very serious as this slush fund supports the Labor Right faction that Mr Shorten himself leads, with funds raised by union bosses from the very union that the Minister himself used to run.” “Last month Mr Shorten attacked the setting up of another AWU-linked fund from the 1990s, for which Julia Gillard did the legal work, and which was later allegedly rorted by then AWU officials Bruce Wilson and Ralph Blewitt.” “Mr Shorten was very quick to make comments then but it seems that when the spotlight is turned on his own activities the best he can do is issue a brief statement through a spokesman.” “His continuing involvement in this union slush-fund is a significant conflict of interest for Mr Shorten,” Senator Abetz said. “As the Minister responsible for the good governance and operation of unions, he has a moral duty to not involve himself in union elections or union slush-funds.” “Significantly, it appears that money raised at fundraisers where Mr Shorten was in attendance was used to back candidates in union elections – including of the tainted 2009 Health Services Union elections.” “This is the same union to which Mr Shorten recently appointed an administrator, in an effort to appoint new HSU office bearers.” “In particular, the Industry 2020 coordinator, Mr Cesar Melhem, must also disclose whether funds from this slush-fund were used to support any candidates in the recent HSU elections,” Senator Abetz said.
