Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hume for the question and, disappointingly, I can. Senators will be aware over many, many years now of numerous examples of rorts and rip-offs of hardworking union members. Perhaps the most egregious examples are, of course, in the Health Services Union. Former secretary Craig Thomson took $300,000 of members' money. Why? For his own campaign to enter parliament and for personal indulgences including using prostitutes. Between Craig Thomson, Kathy Jackson and former national president Michael Williamson, HSU members were cheated out of more than $2.3 million. Based on reports in the papers of late, they are not the only HSU officials who have benefited from their members' money for their own purposes. Of course, it has not gone unnoticed in this chamber that Craig Thomson is not the only former HSU official having serious questions to answer who has come into the parliament.

Disappointingly, there have also been notorious rorts by union officials in other unions. I am sure senators will be horrified to know that in the TWU two officials bought themselves American utes—F350s—at $150,000 each for their own personal use. MWU officials used hardworking union members' money on holidays, concert tickets, sporting tickets and even utilising a dating website.

But what about Bill Shorten taking a secret donation from his former union—$40,000 to fund his political campaign, conveniently not disclosed until just before the royal commission was about to question him?