Registered Organisations Commission boss Chris Enright ‘assumed Michaelia Cash had agenda’ in AWU probe

Registered Organisations Commission boss Chris Enright tells court he was aware of Michaelia Cash’s political purpose over AWU donations probe.

Registered Organisations Commission Executive Director Chris Enright arrives at the Federal Court of Australia in Melbourne today. Picture: AAP

A senior Registered Organisations Commission official assumed Michaelia Cash “had an agenda’’ when she asked the agency to consider investigating donations made by the Australian Workers Union when Bill Shorten was in charge.

Commission executive director Chris Enright is giving evidence in Federal Court proceedings brought by the AWU.

Asked if he was aware of Senator Cash’s political purpose in asking the commission look into the allegations against Mr Shorten and the AWU, Mr Enright said he was clearly aware Senator Cash was on one side of parliament.

“I assumed she had an agenda,’’ he said.

But Mr Enright denied he was seeking to assist Senator Cash by agreeing to investigate whether the donations to GetUp were properly authorised.

He acknowledged an investigation into the AWU donations could be potentially damaging to Mr Shorten.

He said it was clear to him once the probe became known it had the potential to damage the Labor Leader.

Mr Enright said that was one of the factors he took into account when taking the “significant decision’’ to launch the investigation.

He said he started looking into the AWU donations on the day The Weekend Australian broke the story in August 2017.

He said the amount of money involved in the donations and allegations made in the article by former AWU members were of significant concern.

He told the court he “very often’’ worked on Saturday mornings.

The hearing continues.