Kathy Jackson used Health Services Union funds for family holidays, home furnishings

Former union boss Kathy Jackson ran up a bill of more than $100k on union-issued credit cards, buying herself jewellery, artworks and holidays.

Kathy Jackson used union funds for personal holidays across the globe.

Disgraced former Health Services Union boss Kathy Jackson swiped her union-issued credit cards to the tune of more than $100,000 for overseas family holidays, home furnishings, artworks and jewellery.

Jackson, 52, appeared in Victoria’s County Court, via video link from her home in the NSW coastal town of Wombarra, on Tuesday where the extent of her misuse of union funds was laid bare ahead of her being sentenced next week.

It was also revealed the HSU had filed an application with the court, seeking compensation orders be made for Jackson to pay back the money she blew on personal expenses.

Prosecutor Mark Gibson told the court Jackson has shown no remorse or insight into her deceitful offending.

He said she used her three company credit cards on 23 occasions while on 13 trips, including for the travel expenses of her children, former husband, Jeff Jackson, and her now partner, Michael Lawler, between 2003 and 2010.

Kathy Jackson with her former husband, Jeff, with whom she went on holidays by using union credit cards.

Among the places she jetsetted to on the union’s purse included New Zealand, the USA, London, Athens, Paris, Hong Kong, Bali and India.

In March 2007, the mother of three also billed the union for a family holiday to France.

She also paid off a $22,000 debt owed by Mr Jackson, for his Mercedes, misrepresenting it as “legal expenses” in July 2008.

Mr Gibson said Jackson purported purchases, including a wire table lamp, shelving, curtains and an entertainment unit — the total bill of around $3500 — as “office furnishings” or “relocation expenses”.

But store records show the items were delivered to her home.

A Charles Blackman portrait she bought for $4636 at a NSW art auction before hanging in her home, was falsely recorded as “conference seminar”.

Kathy Jackson misused the company card on 23 occasions while on 13 trips.

She also marked the purchase of a $1000 vintage poster at a store in Armadale, which was later hung in her home, as an “entertainment” expense.

Jackson even used the company card to send a gift basket to a friend in Hong Kong to congratulate her on the arrival of her baby.

A $679.65 purchase of figurines, jewellery and cards from a store in the Sydney domestic airport were marked as “accommodation and travel” expenditure.

While she marked as “general expenses” an outlay of $1070.72 for 21 CDs, DVDS and console games from JB Hi-Fi in April 2008.

Her deception, Mr Gibson said, involved “greed, not need” and totalled $102,892.85.

But defence barrister Theo Alexander spoke to Jackson’s good character and her brave whistleblowing work, claiming “good people do bad things”.

“Ms Jackson is not proud to be in front of your honour,” Mr Alexander told Judge Mandy Fox.

He said it was “a great, great shame” that “what would have been a proud and meaningful legacy” at the helm of the union would be tarnished by these court matters.

“She has clearly strongly aligned herself with the workers and done good advocacy in that respect,” Mr Alexander said.

Jackson fronting the first day of her trial at the County Court in October last year.

In December last year, a jury found Jackson guilty of two counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception, but not guilty of dozens of other alleged theft offences.

The verdicts could not be reported until October, when she abandoned a second trial for further offending and pleaded guilty to two rolled-up charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception to bring the long-running saga to an end.

Jackson will be sentenced on all four charges on November 26.

Judge Fox has indicated she would impose a wholly suspended jail term, meaning Jackson would not have to serve any of it if she is of good behaviour.

This move was not opposed by the prosecution.

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