Website for live streaming when the Royal Commission is sitting: www.tradeunionroyalcommission.gov.au

Latest News

Media Release – 18th December 2015

Final Report to be delivered by year’s end

Royal Commissioner, the Hon J.D. Heydon AC QC will deliver his final report to the Governor-General on or by 31 December 2015.

The report, which is likely to extend over several volumes, will conclude the Commission’s national inquiry into trade union governance and corruption which began on 13 March 2014.

The timing of the tabling of the report in Parliament and its public release will be a matter for Government.

The Commission considered 75 distinct case studies under the Terms of Reference and received evidence from 525 witnesses in public and private hearings on 189 individual hearing days in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra.

Many other matters were considered by the Commission’s investigators which did not culminate in public hearings. In conducting its investigations, the Commission issued more than 2000 ‘Notices to Produce Documents’ and generated a database of over 852,000 individual documents comprising millions of pages.

As of 30 November 2015, expenditure for the Office of the Royal Commission (ORC), the police taskforces of NSW, Victoria, Queensland and the ACT, the Attorney General’s Department’s financial assistance to witnesses and Commonwealth legal representation was under budget at $45.905m.

The Office of the Royal Commission was initially funded as a nine month operation but was extended in October 2014 to run for 21 months, with no change in its capital and operating funding of approximately $57m.
Referrals:

The Interim Report, delivered to the Governor-General in December 2014, referred 26 people to 11 agencies:

• Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions
• NSW Director of Public Prosecutions
• SA Director of Public Prosecutions
• QLD Director of Public Prosecutions
• VIC Director of Public Prosecutions 
• WA Director of Public Prosecutions
• Australian Securities and Investment Commission
• Fair Work Building Inspectorate
• Fair Work Commission
• Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
• Australian Information Commissioner

Law Reform:

The Commission issued discussion papers on policy and law reform to help inform its inquiry:

• Four discussion papers were released in 2014 seeking comment on the funding of trade union elections, the protections available to whistleblowers, the duties of union officials and relevant entities
• The Discussion paper on Options for Law Reform released in May 2015 received 20 submissions, including from Victoria Police, Master Builders Association and the ACCC.

Mr Heydon extended his gratitude to the barristers, lawyers and Commission staff for their hard work and professionalism throughout the inquiry.

 

The Royal Commission statement and submissions – Friday 6/11/15

In very brief overview, counsel assisting have submitted that the Commissioner should find that a number of officials of the AWU and the AWU itself may have engaged in criminal conduct in relation to the falsification of invoices and the taking of commissions.

It is further submitted that a number of persons employed by major employers and employers themselves may have engaged in similar criminal conduct, by receiving and paying bogus invoices and paying commissions (see e.g. Chapter 3 – Thiess John Holland, paragraph 213; Chapter 5 – ACI, paragraph 118; Chapter 6 – Chiquita Mushrooms paragraph 85; Chapter 8 – Winslow Constructors, paragraph 44).

Counsel assisting have submitted further that a number of officials of the AWU may have engaged in conduct in conflict of interest by causing the union to enter into lucrative side deals that were not disclosed to the members.

There is no submission that Mr Bill Shorten may have engaged in any criminal or unlawful conduct.

Chapter 1 is an introductory chapter which summarises many of the main points.  There are 10 Chapters in total.

Since these are submissions, they do not contain any recommendations. Any recommendations will be made by the Commissioner in his Report.  That will only occur after the Commissioner has received submissions from all parties and considered all competing points of view. (Click on the below links for each chapter)

Chapter One – Introduction (Click here to read)

Chapter Two – Cleanevent (Click here to read)

Chapter Three – Thiess John Holland (Click here to read)

Chapter Four – Paid Education (Click here to read)

Chapter Five – ACI-O-I (Click here to read)

Chapter Six – Chiquita Mushrooms (Click here to read)

Chapter Seven – Unibuilt (Click here to read)

Chapter Eight – Winslow Constructions (Click here to read)

Chapter Nine – Misc Membership Issues (Click here to read)

Chapter Ten – Downer EDI (Click here to read)

5/11/15: Bill Shorten’s mate David Asmar flees to Lebanon to conceal multi-million dollar fraud at the HSU

AWU/HSU – DAVID ASMAR
COUNSEL ASSISTING STATEMENT – 5 November 2015

In 2014 the Commission held hearings into a number of relevant entities, including generic funds and fighting funds.

Included among these funds was Industry 2020 Pty Ltd, which was examined in Chapter 3.3 of the Interim Report, and the funding of the HSU No 1 Branch Election campaigns, which was examined in Chapter 4.7 of the Interim Report.

These two investigations were connected in the following way: Mr David Asmar is the husband of Diana Asmar and was her campaign manager in the HSU No 1 Branch elections; Mr Asmar is also associated with Cesar Melhem and was the recipient of significant funds from Industry 2020.

One issue the Commission has been considering is what Industry 2020 funds were used for, including those funds supplied to Mr Asmar.

As was noted in the Interim Report, David Asmar did not give evidence at a public hearing in 2014, which inhibited the ability of the Commissioner to make concluded findings on some issues related to this matter (see Interim Report, Chapter 4.7, paragraphs 99-100).

In 2014 Commission staff had sought to make arrangements for David Asmar to give evidence in a public hearing in October 2014. However at that time the Commission was advised by Mr Asmar’s solicitor that he had travelled to Lebanon, and was therefore not available to give evidence.

This year further attempts have been made to resume and complete these investigations, including by having David Asmar give evidence at a public hearing.

In particular, on 15 September 2015 Commission staff contacted Mr Asmar’s solicitor and asked if he had instructions to accept service of a summons to Mr Asmar to appear at a public hearing on 21 October 2015.

Mr Asmar’s solicitor advised that he did not have instructions to accept service of the summons. Consequently Mr Asmar had to be served personally.

On the same day David Asmar changed an existing flight booking and arranged to depart Australia for Lebanon on 18 September 2015.

Commission staff did not know of Mr Asmar’s travel arrangements. However, following unsuccessful attempts to serve Mr Asmar with a summons on 17 September 2015, as a precaution, Commission staff caused a Passenger Analysis Clearance and Evaluation alert to be placed with the Australian Federal Police.

On 18 September 2015 David Asmar arrived at Melbourne Airport to fly to Lebanon. When he sought to pass through customs the alert was triggered. Australian Federal Police officers attended the customs screening point and David Asmar was then served with the summons.

The summons required Mr Asmar to appear at the Commission to give evidence at a public hearing on 21 October 2015.

After receiving the summons, Mr Asmar departed Australia by boarding a flight to Lebanon. At that stage Mr Asmar was scheduled to return to Australian on 27 October 2015, a date after the date on which he was required to appear in the Commission pursuant to the summons on 19 and 20 October 2015 Commission staff and Mr Asmar’s solicitor exchanged communications concerning his compliance with the summons.

These communications culminated in the date for Mr Asmar’s public hearing being further fixed for 5 November 2015. This date was specifically chosen in consultation with Mr Asmar’s solicitor to suit the convenience and availability of both Mr Asmar and his chosen counsel.

On Monday 2 November 2015 the Commission was advised that Mr Asmar was still in Lebanon and for medical reasons would not be in Australia on 5 November. A medical certificate was attached his solicitor’s communications.

The practical result of all this is that Mr Asmar is in Lebanon and it will not be possible to proceed with his examination today. Since his medical adviser, who prepared the medical certificate, is also in Lebanon, it will not be possible for that adviser to be examined on his certificate.

However, the Commission’s inquiries are continuing into this matter. The Commission continues to consider its position in respect of this case study to determine whether further light can be shed upon the use of Industry 2020 funds, whether or not David Asmar becomes available to give further evidence.

The purpose of these remarks is put on public record the reason why a public examination which was foreshadowed in the Interim Report, and which was publicly announced by the Commission just a few days ago, will not be proceeding today

30/10/15: The Commission will briefly adjourn next Thursday, 5 November at 2pm to examine Mr David Asmar in relation to the funding of HSU No.1 Branch elections. To read about David Asamar and the HSU #1 Branch click here: Bill Shorten’s supporters involved in multi-million-$ fraud at the HSU

The NUW hearing will resume immediately upon completion of his evidence.

National Union of Workers, New South Wales (NUW)

A hearing of the Royal Commission is scheduled to take place on Level 19, 55 Market Street, Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, between 4 and 6 November 2015.

The witness list (in alphabetical order) is:

Commencing 4 November 2015 (Sydney)

• Darack (Derrick) Belan
• Nicklouse Belan
• Ian Dalziel
• Paul Gibson
• Michelle Holweg
• Michael Hudson
• Lincoln Hudson
• Marilyn Issanchon
• Greg Jenkins
• Wayne Meaney
• Bruno Mendonca
• Terry McQuillan
• Charlie Morgan
• Danielle O’Brien
• Anthony O’Donnell
• Mark Ptolemy
• Paul Rixon
• Ross Shrimpton

Please note, this list may be subject to change. 

………………………

Please be advised that the public hearings into the CFMEU will be held on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October.  At this stage the hearings are scheduled to run between 10am and 4pm on Thursday and will be running from 2pm on Friday 30 October.

29 October – 30 October (Sydney)

• Tom Boglis
• Gary Cheetham
• Jason Vieusseux
• Andrew Zaf

Please note, this list may be subject to change.

Commission announces its final hearing block

The Royal Commission presently intends to conclude its public hearings into trade union governance and corruption on Friday, 6 November 2015.

Public hearings will be held in Sydney on Thursday, 29 and Friday, 30 October 2015 to conclude existing CFMEU VIC and CFMEU QLD matters. Witness lists will be published once finalised.

This will be followed by an inquiry into new matters involving the NSW Branch of the National Union of Workers from Wednesday, 4 November to Friday 6 November.

In 2015, Counsel assisting the Commission have released submissions relating to 16 case studies involving the CFMEU as well as other case studies into the ETU NSW, TWU WA and the HSU.

Further submissions will be released over the next few weeks as outstanding matters are completed. 

At the conclusion of its two year inquiry, the Commission will have publicly investigated approximately 75 individual case studies under its Terms of Reference, and conducted more than 170 public and private hearings involving almost 500 witnesses in Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Melbourne.

Commissioner Dyson Heydon will deliver his final report to the Governor General by 31 December 2015.

AWU Witness List

12 October – 23 October

A hearing of the Royal Commission is scheduled to take place on Level 19, 55 Market St, Sydney between 10:00am and 4:00pm.

The witness list (in alphabetical order) is:

Monday, 12 October

THIESS JOHN HOLLAND CASE STUDY

• Michael Connell
• Christopher Herbert
• Michael Minotti
• Gordon Ralph
• Stephen Sasse
• Deborah Swinley

Tuesday, 13 October

THIESS JOHN HOLLAND CASE STUDY CONTINUED

• Don Johnson
• Julian Rzesniowiecki
• Gregory Sparkman

Wednesday, 14 October

ACI/O-I CASE STUDY

• Neil Cooper
• Michael Gilhome
• Brendan Mitchell
• Gregory Ridder
• Peter Robinson

Thursday, 15 October

ACI/O-I CASE STUDY CONTINUED

• Mario Minniti

DOWNER EDI CASE STUDY

• Bill McGuire
• Jamie Spencer
• Predrag Susa

Friday, 16 October

UNIBUILT CASE STUDY

• Edward Lockyer
• Lance Wilson

Monday, 19 October

CLEANEVENT CASE STUDY

• Zoe Angus
• Paul Howes
• Thomas Jeffers
• Julianne Page

Tuesday, 20 October

CLEANEVENT CASE STUDY CONTINUED

• John-Paul Blandthorn
• Steven Hunter
• Craig Winter

Wednesday, 21 October

• Jelica Addamo
• Michael Chen
• Angela Leo
• Paul Vine

Thursday, 22 October

• Cesar Melhem

Friday, 23 October

Reserve Day

Please note, this list may be subject to change.

29-9-15 – CFMEU Witness List 2015

1 October – 2 October (Sydney)

A hearing of the Royal Commission is scheduled to take place on Level 19, 55 Market St, Sydney between 10:00am and 4:00pm.

The witness list (in alphabetical order) is:

• Brian Parker
• Yulei Zhou

6 October (Sydney)

• Michael Deegan
• Peter McClelland

7 October – 9 October (Sydney)

• Dean Hall
• John Lomax

24-9-15 Monthly Schedule

Please note, this schedule may change at short notice.

October	​Hearing description	​Location
Thursday 1–Friday 2	Public hearing: CFMEU NSW	Sydney
Monday 5	Public holiday
Tuesday 6	Public hearing: CFMEU Funds	Sydney
Wednesday 7–Friday 9	Public hearing: CFMEU ACT	Sydney
Monday 12–Friday 23	Public hearing: AWU	Sydney
Monday 26–Friday 30	TBC	Sydney

The Royal Commission has set aside 10 days for hearings into the AWU in Sydney between October 12 and 23. At this stage the Commission does not propose to recall Mr Shorten as a witness. However, during the course of the inquiry, affected parties may seek authorisation to cross examine Mr Shorten. In the event that such an application is made, it will be considered in due course.

10-9-15 – Witness list – CFMEU QLD

The list of witnesses (in alphabetical order) that will be called to give evidence between 14 and 18 September 2015 at the Brisbane Magistrates Court is below:

• Benjamin Carter
• Colin Considine
• Shane Dalby
• Brad Garlick
• Dianne Graham
• Steve Gray
• Daniel Greenland
• David Hanna
• Mathew McAllum
• Adam Moore
• David Mullan
• Lucas Nicoll
• Adam Shuttlewood
• Glen Wadsworth
• Darren Wall

Please note, this list may be subject to change.  Additional lists of witnesses will be published for hearings to take place commencing in the week of 21 September 2015.

7-8-15 Counsel releases submissions on CBUS Superannuation fund. (Click here to read the submissions)

The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption has released submissions relating to its inquiry into the CBUS Superannuation fund.

The submissions by Counsel Assisting the Commission relate to hearings conducted in July, September, October 2014 and June 2015, which have now been finalised.

The hearings concerned two main matters:

1. disclosure of the personal information of members of the CBUS Superannuation fund; and

2. the conduct of CBUS and CFMEU officers in facilitating this disclosure.
The issues for the Commission include:

• whether Mr Parker, state secretary of the CFMEU Construction and General Division NSW, engaged in unlawful conduct and ‘gross misbehaviour’ in the context of his role as an officer of the CFMEU;
• the extent to which Mr Parker sought to encourage Ms Zanatta, Ms Butera or Mr Atkin to conceal the truth about the leak; and
• whether, and if so, to what extent Mr Atkin, the CEO of CBUS, participated in the leak of private member information by Ms Zanatta to Mr Parker.
• Affected parties have until Friday 11 September 2015 to lodge their submissions in reply.

Hearings into the CFMEU ACT branch will resume at 10am Tuesday 1 September in Sydney

4-9-15 Public hearings of the Commission resume in Brisbane on 14 Sept, when an inquiry begins into the CFMEU Qld branch.

The CFMEU ACT hearing has now adjourned to a date to be fixed.

31-8-15Dyson Heydon handed down his recusal judgment today and has rejected the Union’s application for him to step aside. (Click here to read the judgment)

SUMMARY OF REASONS 31.08.15

1. The Commissioner has rejected the applications by the ACTU, CFMEU and AWU (the applicants) to disqualify himself for ‘apprehended bias’. There has never been an application based on ‘actual bias’.

2. The Commissioner has prepared written reasons which have been published.

3. In summary, the test set out in the reasons is whether, by reason of his agreement to speak at the sixth annual Sir Garfield Barwick Address, a fair-minded lay observer might reasonably apprehend that the Commissioner might not bring an impartial mind to the resolution of the issues for decision in the Commission.

4. Two key arguments were made by the applicants.
First argument

5. The applicants’ first main argument was that a fair-minded lay observer might apprehend bias merely because he or she might apprehend that the Commissioner had agreed to deliver a legal speech to a function organised by two lawyer branches of the New South Wales Liberal Party. Issues of fundraising were irrelevant to this argument.

6. The Commissioner rejected this argument for three reasons:

1) First, the nature of the event was a legal address in memory of Australia’s longest-serving High Court Chief Justice. It could not rationally be concluded that a person who merely agrees to give a legal address at such an event, albeit organised by the lawyer branches of the Liberal Party, believes in, supports or has any relevant association with the Liberal Party.

2) Secondly, the applicants did not explain how there was any logical connection between their argument and the actual issues for determination in the Commission, in particular having regard to the way material is collected and the Commission’s hearings are conducted, in which detailed evidence is given publically and tested by cross-examination.

3) Thirdly, even assuming the first and second reasons were wrong, the applicants did not show that a fair-minded lay observer might conclude the Commissioner, a highly experienced lawyer and former judge, would not be able to put out of his mind any extraneous or irrelevant matters and deal with the issues impartially.

7. The concession by the applicants that nothing could be said about the political leanings of the speaker at the 2014 Sir Garfield Barwick Address significantly undermined the applicants’ argument.

Second argument

8. The applicants’ second main argument was that a fair-minded lay observer might apprehend bias because the observer might apprehend that the Commissioner intended, in agreeing to deliver the sixth annual Sir Garfield Barwick Address, to raise funds or assist in raising funds or generate support for the Liberal Party.

9. The Commissioner rejected the second argument, also for three reasons.
1) The first reason was that, when the documents are considered properly, there was no factual basis to support the argument that a fair-minded lay observer might apprehend any intention on the Commissioner’s part to raise funds or assist in raising funds or generate support for the Liberal Party.
2) The second and third reasons for rejecting the second argument were similar to those for rejecting the first argument. The concession by the applicants that nothing could be said about the political leanings of the speaker at the 2014 Sir Garfield Barwick Address also significantly undermined the second argument.

28-8-15 Commissioner Dyson Heydon AC QC has received supplementary submissions from the ACTU, the AWU and the CFMEU in response to his directions made yesterday.

The Commissioner will deliver his decision on the disqualification application on Monday 31 August at 2pm.

Proceedings will be webcast in the usual manner.

27-8-15 The Commission is releasing a letter from the solicitor for the Commission dated today, which is in response to a letter from solicitors for the ACTU dated earlier today. (Click here to read the letter)

The letter from the solicitors for the ACTU is to the same substantive effect as the ACTU’s media release of this afternoon.

Given the matters raised in that correspondence, the Commissioner has vacated the fixture at 10.00 am tomorrow to give any party an opportunity to make any further submissions. 

The Commissioner presently expects to deliver his decision on disqualification on Monday, 31 August 2015 at a time to be fixed.

Commission announces date for ruling

The Royal Commission has announced the date for Dyson Heydon AC QC to deliver his ruling on the application to disqualify himself from the current inquiry.

Commissioner Heydon will announce his decision at 10.00am on Friday, 28 August 2015.

The decision will be broadcast through the Commission’s webcasting facility, which is available through a link on its website 

The reasons for Mr Heydon’s decision will also be published online as soon as possible thereafter.

24-11-15 – Commissioner Dyson Heydon AC QC has reserved his decision on an application by unions to disqualify himself from the current inquiry.

On Friday, the Commissioner indicated that he hoped to publish his ruling on Tuesday, 25 August 2015.

Mr Heydon is still considering his ruling, which will now not be delivered on that date.

The Royal Commission will make a further statement on the timing of Commissioner Heydon’s decision in due course.

A public hearing scheduled for Wednesday, 26 August 2015, involving the CFMEU NSW Branch, has been postponed to a date to be fixed.

21-8-15 Transcript for today’s hearing (Click here to read)

21-8-15 Submissions for application for Commissioner Heydon to recuse himself

• ACTU submission (Click here to read)
• AWU submission (Click here to read)
• CFMEU submission (Click here to read)
• Counsel Assisting’s submissions (Click here to read)

 

20-8-15 The Commission has confirmed it received three submissions in the application for Commissioner Heydon to recuse himself.

The submissions were lodged by the ACTU (on behalf of the CEPU, HSU, TWU, Unions NSW and MUA), the CFMEU and AWU.

Please be advised that the hearing will commence at 10am, Friday 21 August.

The media room and hearing room will open from  930am and proceedings will be webcast in the usual manner.

19-8-15 Hearing – 10am Friday 21 August 2015 – Notice of Motion for Commissioner Dyson Heydon to recuse himself from the position of Commissioner. Notice of Motion is filed by the ACTU with the support of a number of Unions.

19-8-15 Brisbane hearings to be held in September

The Royal Commission has announced a two week hearing block in Brisbane as part of its inquiry into the Queensland branch of the CFMEU.
Proceedings are scheduled to take place from Monday, 14 September to Friday, 25 September 2015 between 10.00am and 4.00pm daily, in a hearing room on Level 4 of the Brisbane Magistrates Court, 363 George St.

A list of witnesses will be published online once finalised.
Members of the public can watch proceedings through the Commission’s webcast, which is available through the Commission’s website on public hearing days.

Monday, 10 August – Friday 14 August 2015 – a hearing of the Royal Commission is scheduled to take place on Level 19, 55 Market Street, Sydney between 10.00am and 4.00pm.

 The witness list (in alphabetical order) is:

• James Angelis
• Peter Chatburn
• Steve Dixon
• Andrew Ferguson
• Colin Huntley
• Michael Knott
• Rita Mallia
• Toni Mitchell
• Tony Papa
• Brian Seidler
• Trevor Sharp

Trade Union Royal Commission hearing schedule for August 2015

​August	​Hearing description	​Location
Tuesday 4 – Friday 7	Public hearing: CFMEU	Sydney
Monday 10–Friday 14	Public hearing: CFMEU	Sydney
Monday 17–Friday 21	Public hearing: CFMEU	Sydney
Monday 24–Tuesday 25	Public hearing: CFMEU ACT	Sydney

Please note, this schedule may change at short notice.

Commission to hold hearings into CFMEU funds

The Royal Commission will commence hearings into CFMEU funds and related entities in Sydney next week.

Three days have been set aside for the proceedings, which will commence on Tuesday, 4 August, at the Commission’s hearing room on Level 19, 55 Market Street, Sydney at 10.00am.

The witness list in alphabetical order is:

Dean Hall, Jason Jennings and Jason O’Mara

The Commission today concluded three weeks of public hearings into the CFMEU ACT Branch in Canberra.

More than 50 witnesses have given evidence into allegations of corrupt payments, industrial intimidation, coercion to sign EBAs and possible price fixing.

CFMEU witnesses are expected to give evidence in relation to the Canberra allegations at a hearing of the Commission in late August or early September.

Monday, 13 July 2015 – CFMEU Witness List

A public hearing of the Royal Commission is scheduled to take place at the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal, Level 1, 12 Moore St, Canberra City, commencing Monday, 13 July 2015.

The witness list in alphabetical order is:

Nebojsa Aleksic, Troy Armstrong, Micah Beaumont, Clint Burgmann, Sam Deloranzo, Anthony Derouw, Giuseppe Gioffre, Aaron Golledge, Dean Hall, Shayne Hall, Garry Hamilton, Brett Harrison, Dick Hook, Jason Hooper, Douglas Jones, Petar Josifoski, Halafihi Kivalu, Darrell Leemhuis, Matthew Leemhuis, Russell Leemhuis, Richard Lewis, Joe Lo Re, Nikki Lo Re, Johnny Lomax, Pietro Mercantonio, Rose Mercantonio, Mazen Merhi, Peter Middleton, Dennis Milin, Kenneth Miller, John Nikolic, Jason O’Mara, Robert Rossi, Jason Sands, Zvonimir Seselja, Zachary Smith, Tim Staines, Zoran Stojanovic, Anthony Vitler.

9th July 2015: Bill Shorten will be back in the witness stand at the Royal Commission at 10am on Thursday the 9th July 2015. You can watch live here: http://www.commcast.com.au/turc

Bill Shorten to give evidence – Royal Commission has adjourned until the 8th July when Bill Shorten will give evidence.

Latest article 28/6/15 “Bill Shorten supporters Diana Asmar & Kimberley Kitching caught committing perjury at the FWC“ (Click here to read)

Royal Commission is adjourned until 10am Friday 26th June. George Alex is due to give further evidence.

19th June 2015: Commission announces public hearings in Canberra

The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption today announced three weeks of public hearings in Canberra.

The Commission is inquiring into new matters involving the CFMEU. The hearings are scheduled to be held at rooms provided by the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal, Level 1, 12 Moore St, Canberra from Monday 13 July to Thursday 30 July.

A witness list will be published online once finalised.

The hearings in Canberra will commence at the conclusion of a three week hearing block into matters involving the CFMEU NSW Branch, which is currently underway.

Thursday 18th June 2015: The Hon. Bill Shorten is scheduled to appear on July 8 when the Royal Commission resumes its hearing into the AWU.

It is almost certain that Bill Shorten will have to make at least 2 appearances at the Royal Commission given the below media statement:

Media Statement from the Royal Commission:

Commissioner Dyson Heydon today issued a summons for the Honourable William Shorten to appear before him on Wednesday 8 July 2015.

The Commissioner has agreed to a request from lawyers representing Mr Shorten to bring forward the date of his proposed appearance from August/September.

The Commission’s preference had been to address all matters concerning Mr Shorten in one sitting. However, given Mr Shorten’s request to bring his examination forward by several months, this will now not be possible.

The hearing will be pursuant to Practice Direction 1, which means Mr Shorten will initially only be examined by Counsel Assisting.

Any person affected by Mr Shorten’s evidence will be able to apply for authorisation to cross examine him at a later date.

Next live hearing: Thursday 18 June at 10am. George Alex who is currently in jail is listed to appear. Watch live here: http://www.commcast.com.au/turc

17 June 2015 public hearing Sydney. The witness list in alphabetical order is:

• Athina Alex
• George Alex
• Nectaria Alex
• Darren Greenfield
• Robert Kera
• Brian Parker

The CFMEU Cbus hearing has adjourned to 9.30am Friday 12 June.

Witnesses still to give evidence are (in alphabetical order):

• Bob McWhinney
• Nabil Mubarak
• Brian Parker
• Anthony Walls
• Lisa Zanatta

10/6/15 Witness list for this week’s CFMEU hearings, which commences in Sydney on Wed 10 June at 1pm. Proceedings will be webcast. The Royal Commission will be investigating corruption at industry super fund Cbus and the CFMEU.

The witness list in alphabetical order is:

7/6/15 Latest article: “Bill Shorten caught perjuring himself at the Cole Royal Commission new evidence shows”. (Click here to read the article)

5/6/15 Click here for a copy of Senator Sam Dastyari’s witness statement tendered at the Trade Union Royal Commission  

The ETU NSW hearing will resume Friday, 5 June at 10am.  The witness list is:

• Paul Sinclair – Assistant Secretary of ETU NSW (he last gave evidence on 27 April)
• Warwick Penfold -former financial controller of ETU NSW

This is a continuation of the ALP loan story. 

This week’s AWU hearing has adjourned to a later date.

Queensland Police Taskforce makes arrest

22 May 2015

The Queensland Police Taskforce attached to the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption this morning arrested a 42 year old man on common assault charges.

Police arrested the man shortly before 6.00am today in the Brisbane suburb of Brighton.

He was taken to the Brisbane watch house where he was charged with two counts of common assault.

The man was bailed to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on 9 June 2015.

Police allege that a 58 year old female construction site owner was assaulted at a construction site in the Brisbane CBD on Thursday, 14 May.

The Royal Commission continues to investigate matters relating to union governance and corruption as part of its two year inquiry, supported by police taskforces in Queensland, NSW and Victoria, under the command of the Australian Federal Police.

The Commission will not be making any further comment in relation to the matter.

AWU hearings to commence in late May

The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption has announced a week of hearings into the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU), commencing on Thursday, 28 May.

The six day hearing block will examine new matters relating to the AWU, including the AWU’s Victorian Branch.  Parties have been notified of the hearing, which is expected to run until Thursday, 4 June.

Witnesses will be made public once the list has been finalised. A hearing schedule is now available online.

http://www.tradeunionroyalcommission.gov.au/Hearings/Pages/Hearing-schedules.aspx

Proceedings will be webcast from 10am each hearing day.

 

Discussion Paper – Options for Law Reform – 19 May 2015 (Click here to read)

Counsel Assisting Statement (Click here to read)

Media Release

Commission calls for discussion on policy reforms

The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption today released a Discussion Paper seeking comment on a number of key potential policy and legislative reforms.

The 116-page document is designed to elicit discussion on a range of areas arising from the Terms of Reference.

The Discussion Paper is open for comment until 21 August. The feedback will help inform the Commissioner’s Final Report, due in December 2015.

Copies of the Discussion Paper will also be sent to unions, employer groups and other interested persons or entities seeking their feedback.

Key areas for discussion include:

 How unions and union officials are regulated

 Establishment of a Registered Organisations Commission or single independent regulator

 Implementation of banning orders for those engaged in egregious or repeated breaches of the law

 Changes to right of entry permits

 The use of so-called slush funds

 The choice of superannuation funds in EBAs; and

 How Court orders can be enforced at industrial disputes.

Submissions can be made, preferably electronically, to submissions@turc.gov.au or, in writing, to GPO Box 2477, Sydney NSW 2001.

The Commission is continuing its public hearings into unions. A schedule is available below and updated regularly.

 

Updated Hearing Schedule for 2015

 

December 15th: Interim Report 2014

Oral submissions will continue on Friday 28 November at 830am.

A revised list of appearances has been issued:

• Adam Morrison (for Brian Fitzpatrick) – 20 mins
• John Agius SC (for CFMEU) – 2hrs
• Tim Game SC (for Brian Parker) – 45 mins
• Miles Condon SC (for Leah Charlson) – 20 mins
• Patricia Lowson (for Peter Mylan) – 45 mins

The hearing will be available on webcast and the media room on Level 19 of 55 Market St Sydney will be open.

http://www.tradeunionroyalcommission.gov.au/Media/Pages/24November2014–CommissionOutlinesTimetableForOralSubmissions.aspx

 

12 November 2014

The Commission will hold a short directions hearing tomorrow in relation to the timetabling of submissions.

The hearing will commence at 1130am, Thursday 13 November.

Proceedings will be webcast as per normal.

http://www.commcast.com.au/turc

29 October 2014

Media Release

Commission outlines timetable for submissions

The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption has announced its timetable for submissions in response to its 2014 inquiries.

Written submissions by Counsel Assisting the Commission will be published online on Friday, 31 October 2014. Parties who have been granted authorisation to appear before the Commission will then have two weeks to lodge submissions in reply. Those submissions must be lodged by Friday, 14 November and will also be published online.

Anyone affected by those submissions will then have until Friday, 21 November to respond.  

Under Practice Direction 5, Counsel Assisting may also make submissions in reply. Those responses will be published on the Commission’s website on or by Tuesday, 25 November.

Parties seeking leave to make oral submissions must do so by Friday, 21 November. If leave for oral submissions is granted, the Commissioner has set aside three days for hearings on 26, 27 and 28 November.

During 2014, the Commission has conducted 57 public hearings involving more than 200 witnesses in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.  The Commission has also held 14 private hearings.  

The Commission has been hearing evidence in relation to the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU);  Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia (CEPU); Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU); Health Services Union (HSU); Maritime Union of Australia (MUA); National Union of Workers (NUW); Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA); and the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU).

The Commissioner will deliver his interim report to the Governor-General on Monday 15 December, 2014.

 

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union

A public hearing of the Royal Commission is scheduled to take place on Level 5 of 55 Market Street, Sydney on Tuesday 28 October 2014.

The witness list is:

Tuesday 28 October (12.00pm – 4.00pm)

• Maria Butera
• Brian Parker

Please note, this list may be subject to change.

Proceedings will be broadcast through the usual link:http://new.livestream.com/accounts/9098097/events/3267275/player?width=560&height=315&autoPlay=true&mute=false

 

The Commission will sit in Sydney on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 October.

The witness list, in alphabetical order is:

Thursday 23 October (8.30am – 4.00pm)

• David Atkin
• Maria Butera

Friday 24 October (10.00am-4.00pm)

• Leah Charlson
• Tom Roberts
• Brian Parker

The Commission has decided not to receive the evidence of Mr George Alex on 23 October. The summons issued on 18 September will be stood over to a date to be fixed.  There will continue to be ongoing investigations into matters on which the evidence of Mr Alex is relevant.

Hearing:  Friday, 17 October 2014 between 10.00am and 4.00pm.  The witness list* is:

Jim Byrnes

* Please note, this list may be subject to change.

Hearings will resume on Wednesday 22 October to Friday 24 October 2014.

Hearing update

The Commission will conduct public hearings from 21 October to 23 October 2014.

Witness list still to be announced. 3 Previous witnesses announced are below:

Next hearing day is the 23rd of October in Sydney. 3 witnesses listed.

David Atkin

Maria Butera

George Alex

 

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union

 

The Commission has adjourned its hearing into the MUA. The Commission is not sitting this Tuesday or Wednesday. Hearings into the CFMEU will resume on Thursday 2 Oct and Friday 3 Oct.

Maritime Union of Australia (MUA)

On Monday, 29 September the Commission will sit in Sydney to hear a new matter in relation to the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA).

The witness list in alphabetical order for the MUA hearing is:

1. Guido Bressani
2. Christopher Cain
3. Padraig Crumlin
4. Fabio Di Giorgi
5. Simon Earle
6. David Lansbury
7. Martin Meijers
8. Joris De Meulenaere

Proceedings will  be webcast between 10am – 4pm.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union

Health Services Union

A hearing of the Royal Commission is scheduled to take place on Level 11, 222 Exhibition St Melbourne, on Friday 19 September.
The witness list (in alphabetical order) is:

• Diana Asmar
• Lee Atkinson
• Mark Donohue
• David Eden
• Leonie Flynn
• Barbara (Denise) Gregor
• Nick Katsis
• Kimberley Kitching
• Alexander Leszczynski
• Robert McCubbin
• Stephen Miller
• Patrick O’Brien
• Darryn Rowe
• Sasha Trajcevski-Uzunov.

Please note, this list may be subject to change.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union

A hearing of the Royal Commission is scheduled to take place on Level 11, 222 Exhibition Street Melbourne on Wednesday, 17 September and Thursday 18 September between 10.00am and 4.00pm.

The witness list (in alphabetical order) is:

• Sakib Begic
• Michael Bonnici
• Ante Buhin
• Zaljiko Buhin
• Leigh Chiavaroli
• Timothy Constable
• Maurice Hill
• John Patrick Little
• Anton Sucic
• Andrew Zaf

Witness list
Monday, 15 September
A hearing of the Royal Commission is scheduled to take place on Level 11, 222 Exhibition St Melbourne, between 10.00am and 4.00pm.
The witness list (in alphabetical order) is:

Joseph Agostino
Stephen Chenoweth
Frank Leo
Cesar Melhem
Earl Setches

Please note, this list may be subject to change.

11 September 2014

Media Release

Commission to sit throughout September 

The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption will sit until the end of September as it continues its public hearings.

The hearings are scheduled from Thursday, 11 September to Tuesday, 30 September 2014 in Sydney and Melbourne and will examine matters relating to the:

Union	Date	Location
National Union of Workers (NUW)	Thursday 11 September	Sydney
Australian Workers’ Union (AWU)	Monday 15 September	Melbourne
Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU)	Tuesday 16 – Thursday 18 September	Melbourne
Health Services Union (HSU)	Friday 19 September	Melbourne
Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU)	Monday 22 September – Thursday 25 September	Sydney
Maritime Union of Australia (MUA)	Monday 29 September	Sydney

A witness lists for the NUW matter is available online and other lists will be released once finalisedhttp://www.tradeunionroyalcommission.gov.au/Witnesses/Pages/default.aspx

Please note that witness lists are subject to change.

“The Commission has been conducting public hearings since May and has until 31 December to submit its final report to government,” said CEO of the Office of the Royal Commission, Ms Jane Fitzgerald.

“More than 120 witnesses have so far given evidence at hearings in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. The Commissioner has indicated that public hearings will conclude at the end of the month,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

Australian Workers Union

9 September to 10 September 2014

Hearings of the Royal Commission are scheduled to take place on Level 5, 55 Market Street, Sydney, on Tuesday, 9 September to Wednesday, 10 September between 10.00am and 4.00pm.

The witness list (in alphabetical order) is:

Tuesday, 9 September

• Leigh Ainsworth
• John Cain
• Paul Darrouzet
• Nick Jukes
• Robyn McLeod
• The Hon Justice Bernard Murphy
• Robert F Smith
• Joseph Trio

Wednesday, 10 September

• The Hon Julia Gillard

Please note, this list may be subject to change.

Background reading on the Julia Gillard – AWU Fraud (click here) which will be heard by the Royal Commission next week.

The below video is CFMEU official John Perkovic threatening Fair Work Inspector Seamus Flynn. The video was played at the RC on the 2-9-14.  

(Click anywhere on the above video to watch)

Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia (CEPU)

5 September 2014

A hearing of the Royal Commission is scheduled to take place on Level 5, 55 Market Street Sydney on Friday, 5 September between 10.00am and 4.00pm.

The witness list (in alphabetical order) is:

• Christopher Anderson
• Andrew Ermer
• Troy Gray
• Philip Green
• Dean Mighell

Please note, this list may be subject to change.

Witness list

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union – CFMEU

1 September – 4 September 2014 (Sydney)

Hearings of the Royal Commission are scheduled to take place on Level 5 of 55 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000 on Monday 1 to Thursday 4 September 2014 between 10.00am and 4.00pm.

The witness list (in alphabetical order) is:

 Matthew Barr

 John Dirk Bastemeyer

 Zoran Bogunovic

 Ian Geoffrey Bourner

 Gregg Charles Churchman

 Peter Andrew Close

 Brent David Dowton

 Seamus Flynn

 John Alan Hanna

 Paul Thomas McCormack

 Leanne Karen McLean

 Nicolas Navarrete

 Jared O’Connor

 Adam Pascoe

 Michael Kenneth Robinson

 Andrew James Sutherland

 Robert Swift

 Veronica Tadros

 Kylie Wray

 Jason Zoller

Please note, this list may be subject to change.

Statement re Ms Julia Gillard

28 August 2014

Parties, including those acting for Ms Gillard have been advised of a hearing date in early September. The Commission will issue further details of its hearings in due course, including a full witness list as per usual practice.

No further comment will be made.