Former Labor Party President and HSU President Michael Williamson was sentenced to 7 1/2 years jail (minimum 5 years) on Friday (28-3-14) which sends a loud signal to all corrupt officials that you are not untouchable. Mr Williamson’s jailing would have sent a shiver up the spine of many corrupt politicians, government employees and other officials such as in the unions where Williamson came from.
One could add former federal MP Craig Thomson’s conviction this week for fraud at the HSU. But given he only received a 3 month sentence and he is appealing it does not add a great deal, at least at this point. Although it must be noted he has been given a life sentence in the court of public opinion where he has no credibility left and will unlikely ever regain any of the creditability that he once had.
The Michael Williamson jailing, for his role in the Health Services Union (HSU) fraud and theft, came and went very quickly in the media but I believe it is a real turning point and something that should not be forgotten. The uprising for true change in relation to holding people to account and weeding out corruption has started and there is nothing that anyone can do to stop it.
Michael Williamson was not some minor official. In the Labor Party they do not come much more senior than he was.
“He was elected as the national president of the Australian Labor Party, serving between 2009 and 2010; and was a vice president of NSW Labor. Williamson was also a vice president of Unions NSW until April 2012, when he resigned after being asked to explain to its executive why he should not be removed. He was a member of the national executive of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU).” (Click here to read more)
Slowly but surely the tide is turning and the public are starting to regain control of the government. It won’t happen overnight but it is happening.
Empowering the people
On Thursday I went and watched proceedings at the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and the Royal Commission into child abuse. There was a real sense of empowerment of the people in the air, especially at the Royal Commission watching George Pell squirming in the witness-box answering questions with his lies. Pell was well aware that almost everyone in audience thought he was a disgrace.
When I left the Royal Commission I saw a lady just outside the hearing room sitting under a table talking on her mobile phone which was plugged into the power socket there. I could hear her telling a friend how to set up a Twitter account which she obviously wanted for her friend to use to get the message out to the world what was happening at the Royal Commission. I assumed the lady (who was about 50 years old) and/or her friend was a victim of abuse and I thought their actions were brilliant as it showed even under duress the lady and her friend still have plenty of fight left in them. One by one people are learning that we do not have to wait for the mainstream media to tell the story and hold people accountable because we can do that ourselves now.
It is worth having a look at the scorecard with Williamson getting the longest sentence that I recall at least in recent history for a corrupt official, Thomson looking likely to go to jail in the future and add that to what is coming with the Royal Commission into unions, the various ICAC inquiries and even the Royal Commission into child abuse which is a win for the public and it starts to paint the picture of what is happening.
It is a grip on power that the Australian public now have and will never let go of. And it is growing by the day.
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Categories: Fair Work Commission
It is very satisfying to see one of the Untouchables fall into the clutches of the Gaoler. I hope that they give him a room with a view of the sky and the large concrete wall with the razor wire topping it. He can then reminisce what might have been if only he had not have been a thief and a fraud of the Working Mans Money. I think he will find it very difficult to start with in a cold impersonal environment amongst ilk of his own level. A place where the only thing that counts is the clock and the calendar both of which can not be bought or bribed to go faster. What will the world be like in 51/2 years??? Iv seen men afraid to leave the gates because of the uncertainty of what is waiting for them after just 3 years. These were also thieves and fraudsters, rapists, and murderers, tax cheats and car thieves, junkies, and pushers, they are all criminals. They feared the unknown and the fact that every one they knew had moved on in the past years; where they have been trapped in the limbo of routine. It takes approximately 3 months to become institutionalized, and years to undo the mind set of an inmate. The sentence doesn’t cease on leaving the gates, the Gaol routine is very difficult to brake. 8am let go, 12.00 mid-day lock down, 1.00 pm, let go, 4.00pm lock down for the night. All meals are taken in the inmates cell.
If your going to commit a crime you have to be willing to do the time!
Michael Williamson & Craig Thomson are only the beginning of numerous charges against corrupt politicians/union officials that will be coming. This Royal Commission into the unions will be ruthless & brutal against the people in the labor party & unions who have commited crimes. Judgement day is bloody coming to the criminals like Julia Gillard, Bill Shorten and so many more. Power belongs to the people at last. It is wonderful to show that the 2 women are setting up a Twitter account to tell the Australian public what is going on at this current royal commission into sexual abuse. Congratulations to those 2 women.
Great news re Williamson and let’s hope the appeal judge gives Thomson a much stiffer sentence than the 12 months/actual 3 months he got. The arrogant conceited p…k should get at least the equivalent to Williamson. Now for Gillard and Shorten to face their demons as soon as possible and get them behind bars for years….I can’t wait!
Hi Shane, good to see and let’s us hope all the low life’s are weeded out. What glue had that judge been sniffing that saw fit to jail Thomson for just 3 months? I’m not a catholic so maybe I should stay quiet but George Pell is a disgusting individual who should be spending time in the slammer instead of getting a promotion. Is the pope aware how much of a grub he is? I’m also not into social media myself but accept that it is a powerful tool for people to use. I might have to get some lessons. Excellent post, Shane. Regards, Warren Olsen
Who is paying Labors Crag Thomson legal fees ?
Former national president of Labor party Willimson doing time.
Labor Party who knew about this but still promoted Williamson.
Bill Shorten the party of Thomson- Obeid – Macdonald & Williamson
is blocking in the Senate.
Australian building and construction commission.
Royal Commission into union corruption and thuggery.
And yes you can understand why they are blocking these in the senate what else is to come out yet?.
He was charged with fraud for $1 mil, what happened to the charges for the other $19mil he flogged.
RE: Craig Thomson – “Although it must be noted he has been given a life sentence in the court of public opinion where he has no credibility left and will unlikely ever regain any of the creditability that he once had.”
I wish that were true but sadly I suspect that things will work out alright for him. Although the public may despise him with a passion it will take just one more dodgy appointment somewhere in a cushy job by another dodgy person (of which there are still many and always will be plenty). He will no doubt get a job in which his yearly salary will be greater than my lifetime earnings.
Nonetheless this is still a victory of sorts. But let’s keep up the pressure on these scum and hope that real justice will occur one day.
Power to all the victims of corruption. Rise up, get on twitter, support this site and others like it and give the corrupt bastards a concious to remember
The one shocking realisation I had after being in this country long enough was compared to the UK there was no real free press, they basically all sang from the same hymn sheet, and no one dared transgress.
Finally this seems to be changing courtesy of the internet and a deeper public will. Hopefully this will be the start of the breaking of the stranglehold the old school bully boys have maintained since the prison yard days, and Australia can start to reach its enormous potential.
Thomson didn’t spend all that union money on just himself, he will have a dirt file a mile thick on union officials, some that may now be in Parliament, that shared his tastes for visiting ladies of the night. Anthony (I enjoy a Thai massage) Albanese may well be getting nervous. He will have a nice little job, overseas probably, waiting for him when he comes out, if he keeps quite. Labor aren’t still paying his legal fees just because they think he is a hard done by nice guy that deserves a break you know.
If Tanya Plibersek’s husband, a convicted drug dealer, can secure a highly paid position as director of education…..
I believe a drug conviction is a bar to entering the TEACHING PROFESSION, unless you have friend’s high up in the LABOR PARTY.
So maybe they both will have something waiting when they are released from prison
Not wanting to be crude – but I wish I had shares in Bonds!
I still can’t understand how Thompson and Williamson get short term gaol for conversion while Pell is allowed to flee to Rome and a better job.
All are guilty of conversion of their organisation’s funds to their own purposes and benefit. Thompson and Williamson tried to justify themselves to a court, while Pell went before a Royal Commission that has power to refer crimes to the courts.
Re Thomson case. Surely on Appeal a different judge can review this ridiculous 3 month sentence for the number of charges involved? Maybe the sentencing Judge is a Labor supporter but am I being facetious!
You think you are but you’re not. He is. Thomson has gotten off too lightly for the “seen to be done” part to have had any meaning given his profile, and his brazenness.
What about his lying in Parliament?
I guess it is for our Parliament to find the testicular fortitude to act on that. Don’t hold your breath.
It’s good news that Thomson and Williamson are getting their comeuppance BUT what we all need to see is the real ‘criminals’ convicted the ones that threw their public support behind these convicted criminals. The ones that have more than one skeleton rattling around in their own closet. Of course I mean Gillard and Shorten. When I see one of those two or preferably both publicly made responsible for their alleged misdeeds I will really start to believe in justice for all in this country.