Bill Shorten gave me $5000, says HSU whistleblower Marco Bolano

A UNION corruption inquiry has heard accusations that Bill Shorten was dabbling in the murky world of HSU politics back in 2009.

A UNION corruption inquiry has heard accusations that federal Labor leader Bill Shorten was dabbling in the murky world of Health and Services Union politics while he was still a member of the Rudd government in 2009.

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten / Picture: Darren England.

Mr Shorten allegedly pumped $5000 into the election fund of corruption whistleblower Marco Bolano, who told the royal commission into trades unions yesterday that it was a surprise because Mr Shorten was actually supporting his opponent.

When Mr Bolano asked “why on earth” Mr Shorten did that he was told “he is having a bet both ways”.

Commissioner Dyson Heydon asked if the money came from Mr Shorten’s personal account. “I couldn’t say,” Mr Bolano said.

Former Health Services Union official Marco Bolano at the royal commission yesterday / Picture: Cameron Richardson

But a spokesman for Mr Shorten, who was an MP when the payment was alleged to have been made, said: “The claim is completely untrue.”

Mr Shorten was also mentioned in the commission last week when AWU official Bob Kernohan said the future federal Labor leader told him to back off from pursuing slush fund allegations against AWU official Bruce Wilson and his then-lawyer girlfriend and future prime minister Julia Gillard.

Yesterday Mr Bolano told the commission of the bullying and harassment he suffered by backing whistleblower Kathy Jackson’s corruption claims against HSU boss Michael Williamson.

At one convention they were jeered and delegates from NSW referred to him as Carl Williams, the Melbourne gangster murdered in prison after being suspected of being a police informant.

“I think there was a reference to string coming out of my back that Kathy was pulling,” he said.

Another told him: “Pity your plane didn’t crash on the way up.”