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| Final trade union royal commission report refers Kathy Jackson for possible prosecution | |
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| A new national regulator with the same powers as the Australian Securities and Investments Commission should be set up to stamp out corruption in the trade union movement, the final report of the royal commission has recommended. | A new national regulator with the same powers as the Australian Securities and Investments Commission should be set up to stamp out corruption in the trade union movement, the final report of the royal commission has recommended. |
| The report found disgraced former Health Services Union (HSU) official Kathy Jackson “lied repeatedly” to the commission over her use of HSU money for personal purposes. The report recommended that she be referred to authorities for possible prosecution. | The report found disgraced former Health Services Union (HSU) official Kathy Jackson “lied repeatedly” to the commission over her use of HSU money for personal purposes. The report recommended that she be referred to authorities for possible prosecution. |
| The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, has escaped censure over his role as an official of the Australian Workers Union (AWU), but the report has referred the former Victorian secretary of the AWU, Cesar Melhem, to the Victorian commissioner of police and director of public prosecutions “so that consideration can be given to the commencement of a prosecution”. | The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, has escaped censure over his role as an official of the Australian Workers Union (AWU), but the report has referred the former Victorian secretary of the AWU, Cesar Melhem, to the Victorian commissioner of police and director of public prosecutions “so that consideration can be given to the commencement of a prosecution”. |
| Shorten appeared before the commission twice, but was cleared of wrongdoing after barristers assisting the inquiry made no submissions of any criminal or unlawful conduct. | Shorten appeared before the commission twice, but was cleared of wrongdoing after barristers assisting the inquiry made no submissions of any criminal or unlawful conduct. |
| Related: Labor accuses unions royal commission of 'modern day McCarthyism' | Related: Labor accuses unions royal commission of 'modern day McCarthyism' |
| Former prime minister Julia Gillard was also cleared of any wrongdoing by the commission over advice she gave as a young lawyer in the 1990s to her then boyfriend, AWU official Bruce Wilson, regarding the setting up of what later revealed to be union slush fund. | Former prime minister Julia Gillard was also cleared of any wrongdoing by the commission over advice she gave as a young lawyer in the 1990s to her then boyfriend, AWU official Bruce Wilson, regarding the setting up of what later revealed to be union slush fund. |
| The commission found Gillard had committed no crime, and was not aware of crimes committed by others. | The commission found Gillard had committed no crime, and was not aware of crimes committed by others. |
| The commission, which started hearing evidence in March 2014, has cost $45.9m – coming in under the $53.3m allotted to it in the 2014 budget. | The commission, which started hearing evidence in March 2014, has cost $45.9m – coming in under the $53.3m allotted to it in the 2014 budget. |
| It received evidence from 535 witnesses over 189 days of hearings, held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra. | It received evidence from 535 witnesses over 189 days of hearings, held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra. |
| Then prime minister Tony Abbott established the royal commission in February 2014. The creation of a judicial inquiry into union corruption had been a core pre-election promise of the Coalition’s. | Then prime minister Tony Abbott established the royal commission in February 2014. The creation of a judicial inquiry into union corruption had been a core pre-election promise of the Coalition’s. |
| Originally slated to run for less than months, the inquiry had its term extended in October 2014 to 21 months to cover the breadth of evidence brought before it. | Originally slated to run for less than months, the inquiry had its term extended in October 2014 to 21 months to cover the breadth of evidence brought before it. |
| Retired high court justice Dyson Heydon was named sole commissioner. He faced questions over his impartiality in mid-2015 over his decision to speak at a Liberal party fundraiser while the commission was operating. | Retired high court justice Dyson Heydon was named sole commissioner. He faced questions over his impartiality in mid-2015 over his decision to speak at a Liberal party fundraiser while the commission was operating. |
| In August, the commissioner rejected unions’ calls for him to disqualify himself. | In August, the commissioner rejected unions’ calls for him to disqualify himself. |
| “I have concluded that it is not the case that a fair-minded lay observer might apprehend that I might not bring an impartial mind to the resolution of the questions which the work of the commission requires to be decided,” he said. | “I have concluded that it is not the case that a fair-minded lay observer might apprehend that I might not bring an impartial mind to the resolution of the questions which the work of the commission requires to be decided,” he said. |
| Labor has always criticised the commission for being a politicised attack on unions. | Labor has always criticised the commission for being a politicised attack on unions. |
| Acting opposition leader Tanya Plibersek declined to back the report before seeing it on Wednesday, saying Labor would consider the recommendations on merit. | Acting opposition leader Tanya Plibersek declined to back the report before seeing it on Wednesday, saying Labor would consider the recommendations on merit. |
| “We have zero tolerance for bad behaviour, and if any union or union official has done the wrong thing, they should face the full force of the law,” she told reporters in Sydney. “What we won’t accept is a politically motivated set of recommendations that is about destroying the union movement.” | “We have zero tolerance for bad behaviour, and if any union or union official has done the wrong thing, they should face the full force of the law,” she told reporters in Sydney. “What we won’t accept is a politically motivated set of recommendations that is about destroying the union movement.” |