Bill Shorten unions royal commission: Unibilt donations probed

Bill Shorten has been forced to answer questions about donations to his 2007 election campaign by labour hire firm Unibilt.

Bill Shorten has been forced to answer questions about donations to his 2007 election campaign by labour hire company Unibilt in the trade unions Royal Commission today.

Jeremy Stoljar, counsel assisting the Commission, told the hearing that Lance Wilson, a researcher at Unibilt, was hired as the Australian Workers Union and the company were beginning negotiations on an enterprise bargaining agreement in 2007. Mr Wilson’s wages were initially paid by Unibilt in 2007, the year Mr Shorten entered parliament.

Counsel went on to suggest the AWU over-invoiced Unibilt for the services of Mr Wilson in an invoice sent to the company in May 2007 for 91.2 hours of work by the staffer that month.

Mr Stoljer told the Commission: “Lance Wilson had not completed 91.2 hours for the AWU had he ... the invoice didn’t truly and accurately reflect what was happening”.

Live: Bill Shorten at the union royal commission

Mr Shorten replied: “I can assure you that Mr Wilson was working for me and he was putting in plenty of hours. In terms of the text of this invoice, it really is for other people to explain because I didn’t issue it.”

He added: “When you’re the candidate you don’t do all of the paperwork..I didn’t draft the invoice”.

“I can’t speak to every invoice issued by the union.”

Mr Shorten was also moved to defend the subsequent EBA agreed with Unibuilt that was executed by the Victorian branch after he had moved to the position of national secretary.

“These are good industrial conditions,” he said.

However Mr Shorten added: “I make this point ... The Unibuilt negotiations were done by the Victorian branch, I no longer have a line of sight with to the Victorian branch and this is certainly one ... you’ve got your organisers who do the bargaining.”

Dealings between the AWU and the managing director of Unibuilt, Ted Lockyer, were aired at previous Commission hearings, during evidence given by Cesar Melhem, who succeeded Mr Shorten as the union’s Victorian secretary.

Mr Melhem, now a Victorian MP, was forced to stand down from his position as whip over allegations he made sweetheart deals with another employer, Cleanevent, to the detriment of workers and AWU members.

Asked about Unibilt at a Commission hearing last September, Mr Melhem said: “I’ve asked them to do some work on behalf of Industry 2020 ... They’re doing analysis on various AWU members’ voting patterns.”

Asked about Mr Wilson’s hiring today, Mr Shorten said: “He seemed like a good cut of a fellow, young, and new but you know enthusiastic and you’ve got to get a start somewhere”.

Mr Stoljer asked: “Did you tell him that the company as going to be paying his wages?”

Mr Shorten replied: “Maybe not initially. I had to ... have had a think about where can I find the resources…. Mr Lockyer was good enough to offer the opportunity.”