Timesheets and job offers signed by Labor staff and MPs set to be examined by police

POLICE are zeroing in on timesheets created as part of Labor’s rorts-for-votes scheme, after campaigners were arrested and interviewed early this morning.

POLICE are zeroing in on timesheets created as part of Labor’s rorts-for-votes scheme, after campaigners were arrested and interviewed early this morning.

It is understood one focus of inquiries is about whether false documents were created when Labor MPs hired electorate officers to help pay for 2014 ALP election campaigning.

ARRESTS MADE IN LABOR RORTS PROBE

CALLS FOR MINISTERS TO STEP DOWN DURING POLICE INVESTIGATION

Documents included in Ombudsman Deborah Glass’s report on the scheme, tabled in March, show that employment forms for staff were filled out an signed by MPs in early 2014.

The roles are described as for casual staff and the member declaration is that the staff member listed “is to be employed to work in my electorate office”.

Timesheets obtained during the investigation show the hours of employment filled out and signed for by MPs and the electorate officers, which say that the hours are certified and correct.

An employment form that is in the Ombudsman's report into the Labor red shirts saga

A signed payment form that is in the Ombudsman's report into the Labor Red shirt saga

In total, 21 Labor MPs hired 22 electorate officers as part of the scheme, which cost taxpayers almost $388,000.

Those electorate officers were paid two days a week by State Parliament, despite the ALP recruiting those people initially as full-time party campaigners earlier in 2014.

Ms Glass said the scheme was an “artifice” designed to maximise ALP campaign funding, and that the hours signed off on timesheets were rarely accurate.

One Labor source said the fact some staff hired by MPs worked in different seats and barely met their “employer” was a concern.

Labor figures were stunned that police arrested the former electorate officers this morning, with one source saying it was unfair to target the youngest members and not others.

Another source said “the kids can’t be charged without the 21 MPs being charged because the

MPs signed the same time sheets”.

“This shows that the cops are actually going after all of the MPs, not just John Lenders.”

Mr Lenders was the architect of the scheme, and who has shouldered most of the blame so far.

When providing evidence to a parliamentary inquiry he defended his actions and said he believed it was legitimate.