Trade union royal commission’s controversial demand to Labor

LABOR and the Trade Union Royal Commission are in a major legal confrontation after the inquiry demanded access to confidential membership records.

Dyson Heydon leaves the Trade Union Royal Commission today in Sydney. Picture: Adam Taylor

THE Labor Party and the royal commission into trade unions are in a major legal confrontation after the inquiry demanded access to confidential membership records.

This would have involved handing over the personal details of close to 9000 individuals — from their ages to their email addresses, trade union membership and credit card numbers.

The royal commission issued a “notice to produce” late yesterday to the Victorian branch of the ALP.

The commission wanted all membership application and renewal forms lodged between April 1, 2013, and May 31, 2013, delivered by noon today.

The demand was dropped when the ALP made clear it would be challenged.

Party sources said today that the period referred to was when annual renewals usually took place, one of the busiest periods of the year for membership processing.

The list would have contained more than 9000 names and addresses, telephone numbers and details such as occupation and credit card numbers.

The royal commission gave no reason for wanting the list. It simply said it required “all membership application forms, including any payment details, for all people who became members or renewed their membership of the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party during that period”.

There is speculation the royal commission’s objective was to check membership lists to detect false entries or the names of people who did not know they had become ALP members, possibly signed up without their knowledge by a trade union.

A union might do this to boost its influence within the ALP, and increase its say on such matters as selection of a federal leader in Parliament.

Labor shadow employment minister Brendan O’Connor said the order highlighted Labor concerns that the royal commission was tainted.

Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus called it “an outrageous intrusion on the personal affairs of members of the party”.

“And I would be saying this if it was members of the Liberal Party being dragged before a royal commission or whose personal details were being sought, the Greens party. It doesn’t matter,” Mr Dreyfus said.

“There is a right to freedom of association in this country, a right to belong to political parties without fear of any political or governmental intrusion and this has well and truly crossed the line.”