There is news today that a person connected with the possible fraud involving the HSU has had his house raided by the NSW Police.
POLICE have raided a house in Sydney in their investigation into alleged corruption in the Health Services Union.
Detectives formed Strike Force Carnarvon last year to investigate allegations of inappropriate practices within the HSU.
They were joined by the fraud and cyber crime squad about 7am today for a raid on a house in Sydney’s northern beaches.
“A search warrant (was executed) on a premises on Palm Beach as part of the investigation,” a police spokeswoman said.
But she would not confirm media reports the raid was at the house of printer John Gilleland, 65, and his wife, Carron.
Mr Gilleland, who runs a graphic design and printing business from his house, is reported to have provided credit cards to the to HSU former general secretary Craig Thomson and the union’s head Michael Williamson.
Mr Gilleland’s company, Communigraphix, reportedly receives $680,000 a year to produce 10 issues of the union’s newsletter, the Health Standard.
Mr Williamson is on paid leave from the union and Mr Thomson is now the federal Labor MP for Dobell on the NSW Central Coast.
The Gillard government could face a by-election if there are developments in the case of Mr Thomson, who is also being investigating for allegedly using his union-issued credit card to withdraw $100,000 in cash advances and to pay for prostitutes.
A police spokeswoman confirmed that a large number of documents and computer equipment had been seized during Friday’s raid.
However, she said no arrests had been made.
Now this is potentially the smoking gun because these kind of arrangements with a supplier potentially amount to the crime of fraud. Of course, it would take some time for the charges to be progressed against Thomson and Williamson, but I wonder whether Jools would still be telling us that she has full confidence in Craig-baby.
This is the bigger issue compared with the union providing a credit card to Thomson and bills being racked up for prostitutes, fancy meals, hotel rooms and wine, etc. As long as the expenses were approved according to the rules of the union, it is not clear that anything illegal follows from this, irrespective of how low or dodgy it looks.
In the meantime, the FWA inquiry processes dragged on. I have a suggestion for Ms Bernadette O’Neill, general manager – that she ask those named in the reports to permit their release and to sign away their right to sue for defamation. If they are keen to clear their names, there should be no problem in gaining their permission. Let’s see … we are all waiting.
The pervasive stench from this degenerate Labor Party may take so long to clear that a brand new centre-left party will have to take its place.
What an opportunity for the Greens.
Luckily, I doubt their suicidally silly ideology would mature and become somewhat more inclusive and responsible.
JamesK
24 Feb 12 at 5:12 pm
Perhaps Rudd might try?
Lloyd
24 Feb 12 at 5:34 pm
The Labor Party will be a smouldering ruin by the time the Royal Commission into the FWA Thomson Investigation reports.
H B Bear
24 Feb 12 at 5:55 pm
I don’t get this thing about possible defamation in the report. Isn’t truth a defence against defamation? Is Ms O’Neill suggesting there may be untruths in the report, or at the very least, claims that cannot be backed up by evidence?
IanD
24 Feb 12 at 6:00 pm
I wouldn’t be getting too excited just yet.
The bounty seized in the raid will have been dumped in the in tray of the least able junior plod, a coppers’ union member, who will be instructed to meticulously read everything twice and to then discuss – discuss only – what he reckons with the deputy senior constable.
The task will be additional to his more important work on traffic point duty and kindergaten school kiddie liaison.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
24 Feb 12 at 6:08 pm
Remember how, not very long ago, the supposed Craig Thompson scandal was nothing but a figment of Ray Hadley’s deranged imagination? Now it’s almost as if the police are treating it as a serious matter.
When combined with the fact that the Labor leadership battle was nothing but a rather comical media beat-up by the Murdoch press, until this week, only one conclusion can be reached. Shock jocks and the hate media have gained the supernatural power to magically bend reality into complying with their own insane ramblings. The climate’s repeated ignorance of the scientific consensus is yet more proof of this. Lord help us.
Sven
24 Feb 12 at 6:08 pm
Grrr – “kindergarten”
Mick Gold Coast QLD
24 Feb 12 at 6:08 pm
I wonder what the people of Australia have done by electing this disfunctional government. We have a PM who lies. A Treasurer who lies. And the ongoing investigation into an MP who lied. What sort of example are they setting for the youth of our country. Not a very good one I suspect. I blame the ME NOW generation where everything is secondary to what the individual can get at this very minute and damn the consequences.
GeoffC
24 Feb 12 at 6:12 pm
If the Police and FWA are not SEEN to be investigating this issue quickly, openly and honestly, then we have every right to believe that they too are corrupt, and that they have been corrupted. Corrupted by those who have an interest in ensuring Craig Thompson is never brought to account.
AML1618
24 Feb 12 at 6:18 pm
Judith – Fantastic – you have just said what I was thinking! Only much more eloquent!
Dianne
24 Feb 12 at 6:18 pm
Reported at 680k for 10 newsletters – 68k per newsletter – wow – is that correct ? What are they printing on & how many copies are they printing ?
Jack
24 Feb 12 at 6:20 pm
As with all university level socialist groups, the current mob would just move to the new one.
I can feel a monty-python moment coming on!
Socialism Sux
24 Feb 12 at 6:44 pm
What is it with stationery and union hacks?
(1:55 onwards for the total entertainment package)
lotocoti
24 Feb 12 at 6:53 pm
I doubt they are that stuoid to still have evidence given the publicity. Then again it is the HSU . . .
Occam's Blunt Razor
24 Feb 12 at 6:53 pm
They’re really very good at it. The unions make the mafia look like the Donald Duck squad.
Gab
24 Feb 12 at 6:59 pm
OK the printer must have factored in the carbon tax to his costings.
Chris M
24 Feb 12 at 7:15 pm
Don’t say that – we’ll have to wait for the ACCC to complete their investigation if that’s the case…
ar
24 Feb 12 at 7:44 pm
It’s easy to see why the left are not happy with conservative bloggers and shock jocks. Only for them there would have been no enquiry into Thompson, the Heiner affair would not have been heard of and man made global warming would be accepted as fact.
We us and Co have made a great contribution to society and helped save it from itself. Take a bow; you’ve earnt it.
Lawrie
24 Feb 12 at 8:22 pm
Hmmm, the crescendo buildeth?
Oh hang on, we’re talking the NSW keystone cops here, they make FWA look positively frenetic.
Damn.
Rabz
24 Feb 12 at 9:01 pm
Wow, on Monday I’m offering the same outcome with a whopping 20% discount. Call it the Thommo discount. I can do 10 newsletters for about half a mil.
John Comnenus
24 Feb 12 at 9:22 pm
Good to see that action has been taken so quickly, imagine if they did not act for a day or two, all the evidence would have disappeared, it’s funny how people who are suspected or accused of a crime may try to destroy any evidence, especially if they are given 1 month, 6 month, 1 year or 3 years notice.
I am so proud of FWA and unions for looking out for us, who said justice is blind, they are deaf, dumb and blind, not to mention an inability to tell the time of day, month or year.
I wonder if I tried something similar, how long it would take to investigate me. I should join a union; every membership comes with a get out of jail free union card.
Ren
25 Feb 12 at 5:35 am
The FWA won’t even release the report to the state police forces investigating the crimes. Quite frankly, I think the “we don’t have to, you can’t make me” response the FWA gave the coppers is a misprison of felony.
2dogs
25 Feb 12 at 7:07 am
Where is Julian Asange when you need him?
Waldo
25 Feb 12 at 7:35 am
http://corrigan.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ca190082/s315.html
So have they done something wrong or not?
.
25 Feb 12 at 7:45 am
More dodgy credit cards being uncovered..
SMH
duncan
25 Feb 12 at 8:18 am
Why are we wasting tax dollars on this? Its clear that the union members don’t give a crap. Its their money. They probably think it was well spent to get another MP on their side.
mundi
25 Feb 12 at 10:39 am
mundi, some of my friends are members of the HSU.
They’re bloody ropable, and want charges laid.
It’s not going away.
Winston Smith
25 Feb 12 at 11:29 am