NSW Fireys union boss Leighton Drury repays credit card spending

He is accused of spending more than $1500 on his work-issued credit card on KFC meals, alcohol and cigarettes. But when confronted, the NSW Fire Brigade Employees’ Union state secretary Leighton Drury said it wasn’t his fault. WHAT HE SPENT

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The state secretary of the NSW Fire Brigade Employees’ Union is accused of racking up nearly $1500 on KFC meals, cigarettes, alcohol and other personal items using his work-issued credit card, in breach of union policy.

But the union is standing by official Leighton Drury, saying it had accepted his reasons for part of the spending: his children had taken his credit card and used the “Tap and Go” function to make the purchases.

The suspect transactions were identified in a complaint made in April to senior officials at the FBEU and called for an audit of Mr Drury’s spending.

The employee who made the complaint, a senior industrial officer, subsequently resigned with three other colleagues.

Two were serving firefighters on secondment to the union while the others were civilian employees.

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All four had a cumulative 70 years of experience between them at the time of their departure.

The Union said confidentiality agreements precluded any discussion of the resignations.

The Sunday Telegraphhas obtained bank records, email correspondence and other documents that show Mr Drury’s card was repeatedly used during the last financial year to buy items with no obvious benefit to the union.

The union’s policy on personal expenditure is stringent.

It states credit cards “must not be used for personal expenses under any circumstances … even if the cardholder intends to reimburse the union”.

A credit card statement for the months of February and March this year indicate purchases of $24.05 at an Ashfield KFC, $48.95 at a Surry Hills newsagent, $54 at the Hotel Hollywood in Surry Hills, $93.85 at a tobacconist at Ettalong and $91.90 at a tobacconist at Waterloo.

It also recorded $58.45 at a Ballina IGA, $48.89 at The Cellar at Ballina, $32.95 from a Coles Express at Waterloo and $15 worth of spending at Liquorland, Summer Hill.

Supplied Kentucky Fried Chicken brand at KFC store

Mr Drury self-reported some of this spending in an email dated April 5, 2018, to a colleague, in which he raised concerns about his children using the card to buy the personal items.

Despite this, purchases at liquor stores and tobacconists continued to accrue on the card in the subsequent months.

In total, he was asked to reimburse nearly $1500 to the union.

He did not respond to a request for comment from The Sunday Telegraph.

Union President Mick Nairn said the transactions were “appropriately reported” and denied there had been any misappropriation of funds, per the complaint.

“The Secretary of the FBEU has always conducted himself in an open and transparent manner, reporting to and working with the Union’s Committee of Management,” Mr Nairn said.

“Any transaction that required reimbursement was appropriately reported as such, and has been reimbursed.”

The union’s credit card policy was devised in the aftermath of the Trade Union Royal Commission, which highlighted several criminal charges available for the misuse of credit cards and misappropriation of funds.

Mr Nairn said the union’s policies were now being reviewed to ensure its rules around credit card usage were “appropriate to the operations of a modern union”.

Originally published as NSW Fireys union boss Leighton Drury repays credit card spending