From the comments …
Given that the AWU already had an incorporated election fund association, why didn’t the officials just copy the rules of this body and give it a different name? No lawyer was needed. Let alone one on the other side of the country. And why didn’t the lawyer, when instructed, simply use the rules of this or a similar body, rather than draft objects for the new body involving workplace reform? It would be instructive to see the objectives of the already registered re-election fund-raising body. No doubt they would have as the primary objective the re-election of certain union officials. And if so, why didn’t the AWU WRA? Note the convoluted reasoning of the PM at her press conference that the AWU WRA rules provided for re-election fund-raising for officials who stood on a platform of workplace reform. All carefully rehearsed. And whilst on this, the PM’s explanation of why the interview was recorded stands in stark contrast to the first draft of the Peter Gordon statement.
JEG, by the time of her interview, knew that the AWU WRA had been used fraudulently. She had some time to prepare for the meeting. The partners had been asking for the file used to set up the association. What was she going to tell them? If JEG was, as she maintains, duped by a conman, why not just say the body was set up to do workplace reform? That would be entirely consistent. Did she know more? Did she, to dissociate herself from the frauds, seize on the idea that the body’s incorporation could be explained as a slush fund? A lawyer would be expected to have a record of the instructions given by the client. It’s a pity Peter Gordon didn’t ask how the rules of the AWU WRA could be read as supporting JEG’s answer. In other words, are we seeing right here, evidence of a guilty mind?
Posted by: Phil Smith | Monday, 29 October 2012 at 10:28 PM
Basically, all it takes to set up an incorporated body is five or more people and a constitution. A minute book showing the group wants a bank account is required to open that bank account. Well, that is the way honest people can do it for the footy or cricket club, art society or a group to raise funds for charity.
The AWU Scandal – Piece by piece the protection of lies is dissolving – Michael Smith News.
