The AWU Scandal - the boys get sprung
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
14 July, 1995 was a busy day.
Ralph and Bruce had a new baby, the Construction Industry Fund. I've attached here a copy of a cheque drawn on the account named in my previous entry, AWU Members Welfare Association No1 Account.
The cheque is for $160,770.00 and it's made out to the boys' new slushy, the Construction Industry Fund. Here is the bank's internal fax to the boss of Business Banking Peter MacCarthy. Lisa is asking the boss what to do with the cheque. She's told that payment has been stopped and not to charge a dishonour fee.
The gig was up. Sprung bad. Keep in mind that Julia Gillard and Bruce were still an item. As you will see, Slater and Gordon continued to give Bruce legal advice. This point is critical in understanding what went on in the next month or so.
The cheque was stopped because the good guys in the union smelled a rat. They engaged another law firm, Maurice Blackburn and Co, whose partner John Cain Jr wrote this letter on behalf of the union to the bank.