What's a directorship between friends?

You've got to admire Thiess's foresight and focus on creating favourable business conditions.

Thiess invested about $400,000 in Bruce Wilson - as it turned out Bruce probably wasn't their best mark.

But Robyn McLeod was.  

Let me explain.   More than $400,000 went from Thiess to Bruce's secret AWU WRA, set up by Julia and apparently modelled on the Victorian Max Ogden WRA set up in 1990.

When AWU members found out, they went to police.   Police went to Thiess.   Thiess said it was all OK, Thiess got what it wanted and there'd be no complaint.

Someone probably just forgot that not only was Bruce a union rep, he was also a Director of the Board of a Thiess company.   And they probably forgot that Julia's bestie, Robyn McLeod was a director too.   And union rep.   And Emily's Lister.   And a developing 20 year veteran of the water industry.

How lucky for Thiess that Robyn stayed Julia's best friend after Bruce.

Even with Julia in the Federal Parliament, she still found time to be Robyn's campaign manager for the March 1999 election when Robyn stood unsuccessfully for the Labor Party in the seat of Mordialloc.

Didn't matter though, because just like when Julia was found a taxpayer job as John Brumby's Chief of Staff after she left Slater and Gordon to campaign for the Senate, Robyn was found a job as the new Minister Candy Broad's Chief of Staff.

Thiess was creating conditions favourable for business then too.  When the Labor Party had a big dinner to celebrate in December, 1999, Robyn was on the table with the bosses of Thiess at $1,000 per head.

This was a great investment by Thiess.  

Today I'll show you how decisions made by the people in this photo:

Led directly to this, billions of dollars later.

KPMG, Thiess, Mick Gatto, Ceser Melhem - I think you'll be surprised at some of the names you'll read about today.  It's like a crime thriller - because that's what it is.

A bloody crime.