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

I thank Senator Reynolds for her question. Despite being asked every day this week to produce the relevant documentation confirming whether the $100,000 donation from the AWU to GetUp! was made in accordance with the AWU's rules, Mr Shorten continues to remain silent. This is of course despite the fact that at the time the donation was made he was the National Secretary of the AWU and a board member of GetUp!. The AWU has confirmed that the donation was made, but that is it. It too has failed to provide any evidence that this $100,000 donation was properly authorised in accordance with the union's rules.

The evidence should not be difficult to disclose, as all unions are required to keep these documents by law. The lack of response to date is clearly not acceptable. Either the donation was properly authorised in accordance with the union's rules or the AWU under Mr Shorten had terrible problems with record keeping and governance. Mr Shorten has been given ample opportunity to provide an explanation as to his and the AWU's failure to provide the relevant documents, which begs the question: do they in fact exist? Given the failure to provide the relevant documentation to show that the $100,000 donation from the AWU to GetUp! was properly authorised, the matter has been referred to the Registered Organisations Commission. There are serious questions that remain to be answered. Was the donation authorised under the rules? If so, where are the records?