Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Thomson, the member for Dobell. In summary, his evidence was that Coastal Voice had no bank account and there were no donations to Coastal Voice, yet there were admissions that it got Health Services Union funds and that it failed to meet its statutory duty to notify Fair Trading. How did Coastal Voice produce a series of glossy newsletters plastered with Craig Thomson photographs if it never received any money, never had a bank account and never produced financial reports?

It is also clear that statements by Mr Thomson are at odds with records of Fair Trading. Given Mr Thomson has a serious credibility problem, I am sure we all know who is not being truthful.

Mr Jones gave evidence that Fair Trading's records still show that Mr Thomson was and always has been the public officer of Coastal Voice. He stated:

Our investigation focused on Mr Thomson still being the then current public officer. Recently he provided a statutory declaration indicating that he had resigned his position as public officer in 2007. We then took action to interview members of the management committee of the association and we spoke to the nominated secretary of the association.

We have no details about the resignation—no records, no documents—just Mr Thomson's word, which is hardly of any value.

Mr Jones also gave evidence regarding Ms Criselee Stevens, the secretary of the association. He stated:

Ms Stevens provided us with a statutory declaration just in the past week, which indicates that she believes that the organisation became defunct in a period around 2007 because it had insufficient members to hold a quorum …

But when she was asked when in 2007, Mr Jones said:

She did not state when in 2007, but she did say 2007. She indicated also that the association had no bank account and had never received funds or raised income. On the basis of that statutory declaration, which is a sworn statement, we have decided to cancel the registration of the association.

So, with no bank account and no funds, Coastal Voice produced this series of glossy brochures. Where did the money come from? Who paid for it? Was it put on Craig Thomson's American Express card?