Julia Gillard did not commit crime over Bruce Wilson’s alleged slush fund — recommendation

Committed no crime but conduct as solicitor questionable ... Former prime minister Julia Gillard. Picture Mike Batterham Source: News Corp Australia

 

FORMER prime minister Julia Gillard did not commit any crime in relation to an alleged corrupt slush fund operated by her one-time boyfriend, an inquiry has been told. 

The lawyer leading inquiries for the trade unions royal commission has recommended a finding that Ms Gillard did not commit any crime and did not know about allegedly criminal activity by her former lover, union boss Bruce Wilson.

Julia Gillard’s former boyfriend ... Bruce Wilson arrives at the Royal Commission into Trade Unions. Source: News Corp Australia

 

The recommendation is among the written submissions to the commission by counsel assisting, Jeremy Stoljar SC, published on Friday.

However Mr Stoljar reports that some aspects of Ms Gillard’s professional conduct as a solicitor “appear questionable” and that she likely did receive money from Mr Wilson for her home renovations — something she has consistently denied.

Ms Gillard was questioned in the commission in September about off-the-books work she did as a young lawyer for Mr Wilson when he was an official in the Australian Workers’ Union.

Ms Gillard advised Mr Wilson and his union bagman, Ralph Blewitt, on setting up the AWU Workplace Reform Association (WRA) in the early 1990s.

The commission has heard Mr Wilson used WRA as a slush fund to secretly receive thousands of dollars from a construction firm for work that was never done.

Ms Gillard’s failure to open a file for the work on the office system and rumours money from the fund paid for her renovations have dogged her career across two decades.

Mr Stoljar wrote: “Had she adopted a more rigorous approach to the task, it might have been more difficult for Mr Wilson and Mr Blewitt to have behaved as they did”.

He concludes: “The evidence supports a finding that Ms Gillard was the beneficiary or recipient of certain funds from Mr Wilson.”

Allegedly made a false claim ... Former secretary of the HSU union, Kathy Jackson outside the Royal Commission into Trade Unions. Source: News Corp Australia

 

Mr Stoljar has also urged the commissioner to find that Health Services Union (HSU) whistleblower Kathy Jackson made a false claim for funds to Victoria’s Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and that charges be considered.

The submissions also recommend charges be considered against Victorian Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) boss John Setka.

Mr Stoljar reports that Mr Setka “committed the offence of blackmail” in a dispute where concrete firm Boral was banned from worksites as part of a confrontation between the CFMEU and construction firm Grocon.

Charges have also been recommended against NSW CFMEU state secretary Brian Parker and Cbus Superannuation officers Lisa Zanatta and Maria Butera in relation to a leak of confidential superannuation member information and “obviously perjured evidence” to the commission.

Commissioner Dyson Heydon will consider the submissions in compiling his interim report, due to be handed to the federal government on December 15.

news.com.au 31 Oct 2014

This is another example of the corrupt legal system supporting its crones.

If you are supported by the 'brotherhood' you are untouchable.

This is showing the peasants that the criminals who run the country are above the law.

Australia, a country truly run by corporate criminals.