Every criminal in town seems to want to help Craig Thomson make some money. At least Labor Party and union criminals do. In the latest twist the NSW Labor Party secretary Sam Dastyari has allegedly suggested to Craig Thomson in a meeting last week, or so Thomson says, that he could run for Labor Party pre-selection in his seat of Dobell and lose which would then qualify him for a parliamentary redundancy of about $100,000.
It is Sam Dastyari who would have approved the payment by the NSW Labor Party of $350,000 to cover Craig Thomson’s previous legal bills. (Click here to read more) I was planning another post but the “Craig Thomson – show me the money” saga just keeps on growing. Now we also have the Federal Police looking at the situation after the Opposition legal affairs spokesman George Brandis sent them a letter of complaint regarding possible breaches of the law. (Click here to read the letter)
Background
Craig Thomson is the federal MP for the electorate of Dobell and is facing criminal and civil charges for ripping off the Health Services Union when he worked there before he entered parliament in 2007. He was suspended from the Labor Party last year and will not get a parliamentary redundancy if he does not run at the election in September which he has stated he would run as an independent. He will clearly lose the election but by running guarantees himself the redundancy. He is also facing an estimated $300,000 in legal bills for the civil and criminal charges.
So Mr Thomson is looking at all avenues to raise money before he leaves parliament. The first cab off the rank would have been the TWU slush fund that I wrote about a few weeks ago. But that is now problematic as is has been outed and so is the trust fund that Craig Thomson had his father organise to funnel money through as the Victorian Police are having a close look at that.
The Labor Party bribe offer
Craig Thomson had a meeting with NSW Labor Party secretary Sam Dastyari on the 7th of May and said:
‘‘Sam made it clear that if I wanted to stand for preselection I could do so, and if the party didn’t preselect me, I would be entitled to redundancy,’’ he said. And that he “was entitled to a redundancy if he lost” and ‘‘But Sam was also, I think, trying to persuade me not to stand as an independent.’’ Sam Dastyari has denied what Craig Thomson has said.
“Senator Brandis said that if this was true, then a person or persons within the ALP had sought to induce Mr Thomson to undergo a ‘‘sham preselection process for the purpose of fraudulently increasing his severance entitlements’’. Senator Brandis suggested that this breached sections of the Criminal Code and Commonwealth Electoral Acts.” (Click here to read more)
For the Labor Party Craig Thomson is a big headache, not just in his own electorate of Dobell given he is going to run as an independent, but also nationally as he is a constant reminder of corruption in the Labor Party. If they re-instated him to the Labor Party and had him lose the pre-selection it would have benefited Labor greatly as he would have been out of the picture come the election in September. There would have been some short-term bad press but that would have been forgotten fairly quickly and the reality is the press for the Labor Party can not get much worse anyhow. So it would make sense for Labor to make Craig Thomson the offer he says that they did.
Even though Craig Thomson is a compulsive liar I tend to believe him on this one as I do not think he has much to gain by lying. Although if at the next election Craig Thomson gets more than 4% of the vote he is entitled to government election funding. The rate was 231.191 cents per House of Representatives vote at the 2010 election and would be higher this election as it is “indexed every six months to increases in the Consumer Price Index”. So there is another 10 or 20 grand in Craig Thomson’s pocket if he gets greater than the 4% vote needed to qualify and if he does not spend much on the campaign.
On the ALP website the Sam Dastyari Bio page says “Sam has been the General Secretary of the Australian Labor Party (NSW Branch) since April 2010, having previously held the positions of Assistant General Secretary and State Organiser.” (Click here to read more) Now this puts Mr Dastyari right at the heart of decision-making in approving Craig Thomson’s previous $350,000 which was done in a dodgy and secret manner and only revealed after extreme pressure. Now we are expected to believe that Mr Dastyari did not try to bribe Craig Thomson this time.
As it turns out Sam Dastyari is a good friend of ALP vice-president Tony Sheldon (see picture) who has received recent mention on this site as setting up a slush fund to help pay Craig Thomson’s legal bills. Mr Sheldon took offence and sent me a legal letter which I put to good use in another post. (Click here to read the post) I have not heard from Mr Sheldon again.
So lets recap. The Victorian Police are having a good look at the trust fund that Craig Thomson had his father set up. The Federal Police are evaluating the complaint by George Brandis to see if any crimes have been committed by the Labor Party’s offer to Craig Thomson. And then there is the defamation threat by the well-known fraudster, thief and slush fund operator etc Labor Party vice-president Tony Sheldon against myself and this site in relation to 2 posts that I wrote on Craig Thomson’s legal funding. Craig Thomson is a one man wrecking ball. So why did Sam Dastyari meet with him last week? He should not have gone anywhere near him given his past history with the $350,000 legal fee payment for Craig Thomson.
The Labor Party are clearly looking at all options to get Craig Thomson cashed up and out of the way.
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Categories: Australian Federal Police, Craig Thomson, State Police
Standard Method of Operation. 1. Bribe. 2. Threats. 3. Truck loads of mud flinging through MSM. This looks like going to step 3 fast. I forgot step 4, ABC complain of being overworked.
Shane, I can never understand how you get your head round all this corruption,you are certainly a dedicated warrior and I personally gain hope from your diligence in putting these bloody rogues where they belong and that is not in parliament. This Sam Darstardly, excuse my typing age is catching up, is a new name to me but obviously tarred with the same brush. I am not impressed by the police authourity that are procrasternating on this issue, still smells of political intervention. Anyway Shane I am sure the garbage is in good hands with you breathing down their necks. Allan from MyalupWA
Another telling post Shane. With all the information you seem to obtain so readily, why is it that the Police etc seem to have so much trouble making a case? After all, you are already laying out the very clear road signs for them to follow.
On another matter, I am dismayed that our alternative government has made no attempt to bring these matters to the greater public notice – again, one can only speculate that perhaps the concern is that a full and proper investigation might uncover further dirty laundry?
Personally, it amazes me that the Opposition have not picked up on the facts you uncover to initiate a judicial investigation into the trade unions which, after all, represent a very small percentage of the workforce. The vast majority of voters would welcome such an approach, including the passing of laws to make unions publicly accountable for the way they use their members funds.
Hopefully I will live long enough to see a political leader with the courage to take this on. Vale Margaret Thatcher.
The Labor Party and its affiliates have lost their moral compass and social conscience. Shame, shame, shame. The word ‘grubs’ comes to mind.
I have followed politics since early 70’s and this last five years has been the most corrupt period I have witnessed. The manner in which investigations have been tainted by delays, lost files and poor reporting, there must be a lot of ‘interference and paybacks’ going on. The independents have a lot to answer for: They have sold out working class Australians by supporting waste of billions of taxpayers $’s. Even now Labor are still repaying the independents by throwing money into their electorates. Is there anything you can pin on them Shane?
I agree totally Ivan. Never in my life have there been so many stories of fact, rumour and inuendo about the shady and illegal dealings within the political system. Perhaps the Internet age has been a portal for the truth to become available to the people. They ask us to trust them with everything from our health to our livelihood and all in between yet right now there is little to no justification for that. This current batch of Independants have been very poor performers, proving that they can be bought very cheaply.
I had intended writing to the AEC for a fine notice but this referendum must not be allowed to pass so I will front up.
I agree Ivan, and I find the most frightening aspect is that they no longer demonstrate any shame over their actions but seem to wear their corruption with an arrogant sense of entitlement.
And these are the sort of lowlifes Gillard and her cronies hangs out with bring on the election and get rid of the lot of them.
Shane. Another excellent posting for us readers to consider but the underlying issue is that when the ALP is in deep electoral & political trouble, out comes the dirt. However, if Australia manages to see a change-of-government on 14 September, one hopes that we will see a Royal Commission into the operations of the ALP and some Unions. With what is going on, self interests comes first, rather than the needs of those within a electorate. The ALP as a whole, deserves to be in the political wilderness for some decades and life in this country, remains under mounting pressure/s. Just over 4 decades of following our political scene and this garbage clearly shows that it’s a game to some. I note the response from Ivan and I too, know how dirty politics can be especially by the ALP. Much that I could say but; isn’t politics about policies and for those in public office, listening to and addressing the needs of us, the people????
During my life I have lived the political aphorism : If you haven’t voted Labor by the time you reach 30 years of age, then you don’t have a heart ; and if you are still voting Labor when you reach 50 years then you don’t have a brain.
I am so browned off with party politics and compulsory voting that for many years now I have allocated my first tranche of votes to any and all independent candidates before allocation of any to the major parties.
Do you understand why???
I agree with your first paragraph only
But I would like to see a Royal Commission into the Unions and the Labor Party. I wonder how many of these Labor and Union leaders would head overseas to make things difficult. I wonder if the shredders are working overtime already. I also hope that the Liberals, if they do win power, will use it for the people . . not themselves
Has Australia ever had two Royal Commissions run concurrently? If no, then we have an idea as to why an open ended commission has been set up just now into the long-long-standing issue of Institutional Child Abuse. It’s to tie up resources that may otherwise be used against Gillard and her handlers and co-conspirators.
Ivan,
Nah!
There are heaps of starving lawyers ready for another Royal Commission.
One on why we have been spending money on concocted reasons for wars would be the most enlightening and fruitful.
another excellent piece of work shane.
@ H.W.S.
we don’t need a royal commission into reasons for wars. the answer is already obvious. what would happen to the arms manufacturers (mostly US companies) if the world were peaceful? they would have to start manufacturing white goods or toys to feed their kids.or worse yet, go out of business. how would they support their lavish lifestyles? it’s all about money. with afghanistan slowing down, i can feel another big war coming soon – my money is on north korea or iran. our puppet media have been warming us up for years about those two.
Please get rid of him, who wants him , who needs him , with a criminal mind , and criminal ways, Back him to go back in the Government again, NEVER!!!!!!!!!
Shane,
I am just so sick of the sight of Thomson and his consorts, it is becoming ridiculous. Now his lawyers need more time, one would have thought it is all ready laid out for them.
Shane is there something untoward going on with the awarding of contracts, three to five Billions worth to Ingeus – Deloitte – Serco? Only recently I believe.
Ingeus is Therese Rein’s company?
Thanks