Police probing Julia Gillard’s legal advice to former boyfriend Bruce Wilson over creation of union slush fund

FORMER Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s legal advice to her former boyfriend in the creation of a union slush fund is part of a highly sensitive police investigation, court documents show.

Julia Gillard’s legal advice to former boyfriend Bruce Wilson was among the documents sei

FORMER Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s legal advice to her former boyfriend in the creation of a union slush fund is part of a highly sensitive police investigation, according to documents released by a court yesterday.

The documents were released by the Supreme Court after Ms Gillard’s former lover Bruce Wilson had fought to keep them under wraps because he feared they could prejudice any fraud trial he may face.

Mr Wilson appeared in the union royal commission this week and denied claims by his former friend and union bagman Ralph Blewitt that he had set up the slush fund to take money from construction giant Thiess without providing­ any work.

A Young Julia Gillard and Bruce Wilson

Bruce Wilson denied claims made by former friend and union bagman Ralph Blewitt (above). Picture: Sam Mooy

Ms Gillard, his then lover, provided legal advice on creating­ the articles of association for the AWU Workers Reform Association.

The Victorian Police documents were filed in response to Mr Wilson’s privilege claim and followed the raid on the offices of Ms Gillard’s former employer Slater and Gordon where documents including her personnel file were seized.

The search warrant by Detective­ Sergeant Ross Mitchell says that Ms Gillard is one of seven “entities” involved in the investigation by Operation Tendment. The others included Mr Wilson, Mr Blewitt, the AWU, the AWU Workers Reform Association, Thiess Contractors and Slater and Gordon.

Sgt Mitchell wrote: “It is reasonably believed that Wilson, Blewitt and others were involved in committing these serious indictable offences.”

Ian Cambridge, former AWU National Secretary.

Victorian Police said last night they were not aware of Ms Gillard being the subject of any investigation. Ms Gillard has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Her spokesman did not return calls.

Counsel assisting the royal commission Jeremy Stoljar SC told the Commission this week that Mr Wilson and Mr Blewitt had committed offences under sections 558 and 409 of Western Australia’s Criminal Code Act, including deliberately procuring benefits for themselves.

In the affidavit, Sgt Mitchell, who has led the probe into the AWU Workplace Reform Association established by Mr Wilson in 1992, said: “The evidence identified in this investigation points strongly towards establishing that the creation of the AWU — Workplace Reform Association Inc was for the sole purpose of legitimising the ‘false’ invoicing for ‘work’ provided by this Association.”