Travel costs rocketed under Craig Thomson - The Australian
LABOR MP Craig Thomson oversaw a splurge in union expenditure in his job as national secretary of the Health Services Union, including a five-fold increase in spending on travel and accommodation.
The analysis by The Australian comes as a member of the union's national executive, Rosemary Kelly, revealed that national president Michael Williamson receives a $20,000 a year "honorarium" from the national branch in that capacity, on top of his salary, said to be substantial, as general secretary of the HSU East (NSW-Victoria) branch.
"I opposed the paying of the honorarium," Dr Kelly said.
The HSU, whose members are in large part what national secretary Kathy Jackson describes as the "working poor", has been sent reeling by allegations that Mr Thomson spent more than $100,000 of union funds to spend on prostitutes, lavish dining and air tickets for his then wife, Christa.
Mr Thomson, who holds the marginal seat of Dobell on the NSW central coast, has denied the allegations.
A review of the annual financial reports of the HSU national branch submitted to Fair Work Australia shows a massive increase in some areas of expenditure over the five years Mr Thomson was national secretary from 2002.
Out of total expenditure of $743,362 in the financial year ended June 2002, the union spent $2020 on national executive and national council expenses, and $29,284 on travel and accommodation.
By the June 2004 financial year, the union's budget had risen to $1,186,089, of which $39,108 was spent on national executive and national council expenses, and $137,997 on travel and accommodation -- more than 10 per cent of the total budget that year.
By the 2007 financial year, the national branch budget had further mushroomed to $2.1 million. Expenditure on the national executive and national council rose to $123,841, and travel and accommodation costs came to $146,025.
A member of the union's national executive told The Australian the increase in expenditure could be explained by a decision to pay the travel costs of executive members to attend national executive meetings.
By the financial year 2008-09, by which time Ms Jackson had replaced Mr Thomson as national secretary, travel and accommodation expenses had come back to $46,828.
Neither Mr Thomson's office nor Mr Williamson returned calls or emails.
05 Sep, 2011--
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