FED:NSW police probe use of Labor MP's card

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2011
FED:NSW police probe use of Labor MP's card

By Paul Osborne, AAP Senior Political Writer

CANBERRA, Aug 23 AAP - NSW police are looking into the alleged misuse of a credit card
belonging to federal Labor backbencher Craig Thomson after the opposition sent the state's
top cop a raft of documents, including a handwriting expert's advice.

The material given to NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione by Liberal frontbencher
Senator George Brandis includes receipts, bank records and the opinion of the handwriting
expert sought by Fairfax-owned Sydney radio station 2UE.

Mr Thomson, MP for the NSW central coast seat of Dobell, has been accused of misusing
the credit card in 2005 and 2007 when he was general secretary of the Health Services
Union - before entering parliament after the 2007 federal election.

He has repeatedly denied claims he used the card to pay for the services of prostitutes
and said another person, who remains unnamed, had used the card.

NSW police said in a statement Senator Brandis's information had been "referred for
internal assessment to determine whether a criminal offence has occurred" and if an investigation
was warranted.

Paul Westwood, the handwriting expert cited by Senator Brandis in the material passed
to police, said the signature shown on a 2005 credit card voucher for a Sydney brothel
was "significantly more likely than not" written by Mr Thomson, but he could not exclude
the possibility of a "fabrication" without further analysis.

An MP who is jailed for a year or more must resign their seat, and if such a fate befell
Mr Thomson and the coalition won his vacated seat in a by-election, the minority Labor
government could fall.

Senator Brandis told reporters in Canberra while the investigation had "potential important
political implications" he did not believe it was "primarily a political matter".

"It is primarily a legal matter ... has a criminal offence been committed? That is
the matter the NSW police are looking at," he said.

"I'm very confident the weight of material ... does paint a clear picture of at least
to the level of a prima facie case of criminal offences."

As well, Fair Work Australia (FWA) is investigating the Health Services Union's financial
affairs.

Liberal senator Michael Ronaldson said the government needed to ensure FWA finalised
its investigation "as soon as possible", and report to parliament.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard again said she stood by Mr Thomson and would not comment
until FWA concluded its investigation.

The opposition also wanted to know who helped negotiate a loan from the NSW Labor party
to Mr Thomson to cover legal expenses racked up in an abandoned defamation action against
Fairfax Media.

When asked in parliament on Tuesday, Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten he was not involved
in the loan.

Ms Gillard and NSW Labor powerbroker Mark Arbib have refused to comment, referring
questions to the party organisation.

Mr Shorten was also asked about the tax implications of the loan, but declined to comment.

The prime minister said previous Howard coalition government members had been investigated
by the federal police "and ultimately the police found they had no case to answer".

"In the meantime the member for Dobell is doing his job as a member in this parliament,"

she said.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has called for Mr Thomson to be stood aside from chairing
the lower house's economics committee while the investigation is under way.

Coalition senator Mary Jo Fisher has stood herself aside from parliamentary committee
work while she awaits a court finding on theft and assault charges.

Fairfax newspapers reported on Tuesday that court documents allegedly showed Mr Thomson's
mobile phone was used to contact escort agencies in 2005 and 2007, when he was head of
the union.

The same phone was also allegedly used to call a media contact for the Labor MP Stephen
Smith (now the defence minister), the then general secretary of the union Michael Williamson,
other union staffers and a staff member of Labor senator Mark Arbib, now a cabinet minister.

AAP pjo/klm/was

KEYWORD: THOMSON WRAP

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