FED:Thomson denies phone call allegations

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-2011
FED:Thomson denies phone call allegations

CANBERRA, Aug 19 AAP - Embattled Labor MP Craig Thomson has denied any wrongdoing,
as a scandal threatened to engulf Julia Gillard's minority government.

Fairfax newspapers on Friday reported phone calls were made in 2006 to brothels from
Melbourne hotel rooms hired by Mr Thomson while he was secretary of the Health Services
Union and paid for using his union issued credit card.

Mr Thomson, the Labor MP for Dobell, is already facing scrutiny over other alleged
uses of the union's credit card to pay for prostitutes.

The NSW MP also this week belatedly updated his listing in the parliamentary register
of members' interests to add that the ALP's NSW branch had paid a "sum of money" - reportedly
$90,000 - to his lawyers on his behalf to allegedly avoid bankruptcy after ending a defamation
case against Fairfax.

Bankruptcy would disqualify him from sitting as an MP.

Walking into a committee meeting in parliament house on Friday, Mr Thomson told reporters
the allegations were untrue.

"The reports yesterday and in the paper last night are completely untrue," Mr Thomson said.

"I have denied these allegations before - there is nothing there that is new at all.

"I will get on and do my job."

Industrial watchdog Fair Work Australia has previously found insufficient evidence
to prosecute Mr Thomson, following an investigation which began in April 2009.

But the probe was continued in March 2010 under different legislation.

Fair Work Australia general manager Tim Lee would not comment on any aspect of the inquiry.

It is understood it is examining whether Mr Thomson misled the watchdog through his evidence.

The federal government's razor thin parliamentary majority could fail if Mr Thomson
was forced to quit parliament over the allegations and Labor lost a by-election.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said she continues to have full confidence in Mr Thomson.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has stopped short of calling for Mr Thomson's resignation
and declined to say whether he would sack a coalition MP in the same position.

"I don't know all the details. Certainly what I would never do is express full confidence
in a member without asking questions. I would try to get to the bottom of these things,"

Mr Abbott said on the Nine Network.

"I would be demanding answers. I would be insisting that official bodies investigate
and if necessary prosecute in a fully transparent manner."

AAP pjo/bwl/nb

KEYWORD: THOMSON UPDATE

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