Shorten declares political donation late
Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten failed to declare a company’s donation to his 2007 election campaign until this month.
Shorten, the former Australian Workers Union Victorian and national secretary, fronted the unions royal commission in Sydney on Wednesday.
After arriving more than two hours early and swearing an oath on the Bible, Shorten faced a series of questions from senior counsel Jeremy Stoljar about the staff involved in the 2007 campaign which propelled him into federal office.
In late 2006 or early 2007, Shorten met with labour hire company Unibilt boss Ted Lockyer and the-then AWU national secretary asked whether the company could provide a research officer, Lance Wilson, the commission heard.
Stoljar told the commission the total amount paid by Unibilt came to $40,000, with a further $12,000 written off by the AWU.
Asked whether he declared the donation to the Australian Electoral Commission, Shorten said: “It has come to my attention that the declaration hasn’t been made until very recently.”
You might like
Asked how recently, he said: “In the last few days.”
Shorten said he had signed an official declaration in early 2008 that did not mention the donation.
“What I did once I saw all the royal commission papers, I went back and I have sought legal advice, worked out what needed to be done and I have now completed that,” he said.
“I would also say, periodically, campaigns do update their information and political parties do.”
Wilson was known to Shorten as a member of Young Labor who had been involved in the 2006 Victorian state election campaign.
Wilson was put on the books of Unibilt as a “research officer”, but Shorten told the commission he acted as his “campaign director” in his run for the Labor-held seat of Maribyrnong.
Stay informed, daily
Stoljar quizzed Shorten on whether the company – which was negotiating an EBA with the AWU – had used the donation of the staff member to seek favour.
“Not to my knowledge at all,” Shorten said, denying he was involved in the EBA negotiations.
“Isn’t that a situation in which you’re using your position as national secretary to gain an advantage for yourself, namely a full-time campaign worker?” Stoljar asked.
“Absolutely not,” Shorten replied.
“The idea that somehow having a discussion with an employer on two different topics – even if not at the same time – and somehow that it is untoward to raise money for election campaigns and do anything else – to me what that does is that assumes that whenever there is a donation in our electoral system, by anyone, that all other relationships and transactions must immediately be cast into doubt.
“That is not right.”
Shorten asked the commission to keep secret the name of a female part-time staffer who also worked on his campaign team in 2007.
The woman was paid by the AWU’s national office, the commission heard.
“She has asked me not to reveal her name in this royal commission, but I am happy to write it down for you,” Shorten said.
“Sometimes being mentioned in the commission can embarrass people, even when they are perfectly innocent.”
Stoljar proposed the woman be described as “the mystery person”.
But Shorten objected, saying she should be described as the “second campaign worker”.
– AAP
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
