LABOR leader Bill Shorten’s successor at the Australian Workers’ Union could face criminal charges as early as today when the Royal Commissioner’s report into trade union corruption is tabled.

Victorian MP Cesar Melhem has stated that allegations that he created false invoices for $100,000 a year payments to the union are “an insult”. Mr Melhem is one of several union officials that counsel assisting the commission has said should face criminal charges.

Commissioner Dyson Heydon’s final report was handed to Governor-General Peter Cosgrove on Monday and will be tabled today.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull yesterday said he had read the recommendations and would “have more to say” on the report today.

Opposition employment spokesman Brendan O’Connor said the commission was an $80 million attack on workplace relations and called the report’s release in the summer break “political cowardice of the highest order”.

Mr Shorten was grilled for two days at the commission about deals he struck as head of the AWU, including one that dudded cleaners out of penalty rates in return for an annual payment to the union of $25,000.



However, Counsel assisting Jeremy Stoljar said: “There is no submission Mr Bill Shorten may have engaged in any criminal or unlawful conduct.”

Since that finding Mr Shorten has told colleagues in Canberra he was not close to Mr Melham.

Former Labor PM Julia Gillard also faced the commission. In his interim report Commissioner Heydon found there were no grounds for criminality over her involvement in a union slush fund.

He recommended her former boyfriend Bruce Wilson and his former AWU colleague Ralph Blewitt be prosecuted for their involvement.

The commission has ­focused on the CFMEU. It heard evidence NSW secretary Brian Parker had close dealings with businessman George Alex, who allegedly provided him with prostitutes. CFMEU officials Michael Greenfield and Luke Collier were both charged with intimidation after the commission heard a female Fair Work inspector was called a “f ... ing slut”.

Victorian CFMEU officials John Setka and Shaun Reardon were earlier this month charged with blackmailing the Boral company.

Commission lawyers recommended National Union of Workers boss Derrick Belan be investigated by police for using union cash to pay for dating websites, a private eye and a tattoo of his mum and dad on his leg.

TIME THE POLICE STEPPED UP, SAYS ABBOTT

EXCLUSIVE Mattthew Benns

FORMER prime minister Tony Abbott hopes the findings of the royal commission will empower police forces to halt union law-breaking.

“I hope that as a result police forces will be much more ready to treat union law-breaking as something to be stamped out,” he said yesterday.

He highlighted allegations of illegal and corrupt conduct and “thuggery, intimidation and coercion, particularly by the CFMEU” for particular attention.

Mr Abbott said many had been shocked by the evidence that had linked “very ­influential people” to a “netherworld” of alleged union corruption.

Mr Abbott’s government launched the commission into trade union corruption and he said he was confident that the report today would contain very strong recommendations for reform.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/royal-commission-into-trade-union-corr...

also loved the timing of the release - right on election year.  Hmmm..politics anyone?

The release date is isn't happening over the holidays.  Whereas the the ministerial changes did.

Short summary of this RC:
-was extended to keep it going all towards election year
-additional money was added to it (while the commission into pedophilia was reduced)
-an RC which is hardly a national priority compared to say: domestic abuse, war in iraq over no wmd, financial products and advice such as CBA's storm
-held by a judge which demonstrated open bias or at least did not show disinterest

Questions to ask:
-will it provide more prosecutions than the pedophilia RC?
-which is more important to resolve and cause great change, especially to its victims?
-was it value for money?

Apologies - the report did occur over the holidays - monday.

Title should be, judgement day.....for maybe one person.....for a 100 milllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllion taxpayers dollars

Oh dear, let me get out aborts ol marker pen again, for FAIL.

stunspore wrote on Dec 30^th, 2015 at 6:36am:



the Royal is over.... what would you have him do with his report....

get your permission when to release it???>..

what a dope.btw its still 2015.

So lets get this straight, the RC managed to stitch up less people in a federal investigation for a higher cost than ICAC did, in one state?

Its time wrote on Dec 30^th, 2015 at 7:55am:




oh dear...another personal attask from a lefty.. who would have thought?

never mind dear I am sure you will have an original thought one day....we can always hope..

at least I don t have to rely on others[very doubtful wit] to make up a post...