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Craig Thomson
Member of the Australian Parliament for Dobell
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 November 2007
Preceded by	Ken Ticehurst
Personal details
Born	(1964-07-31) 31 July 1964 (age 60) Wellington, New Zealand
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Independent (2012-present)
Other political affiliations	Labor (2007-2012)
Spouse(s)	Christa Zoe Arnold (m. 2011)
Alma mater	University of New South Wales
Occupation	Unionist

Craig Robert Thomson (born 31 July 1964) is an Australian trade unionist and politician who was elected to the House of Representatives as member for the Division of Dobell, New South Wales for the Australian Labor Party at the 2007 federal election. In April 2012 he announced his intention to sit on the crossbench as an independent MP.

Early life and education

Thomson was born in Wellington, New Zealand, and raised in Bathurst, New South Wales.

Thomson was educated at the University of New South Wales, where he obtained a Bachelor of Commerce. Thomson later completed a law degree at University of Technology, Sydney. He also attended a trade union education programme at Harvard University.

Union career

Thomson started his career representing hospital and ambulance workers in New South Wales as an Industrial Officer for the Health and Research Employee Association (HREA). He proved to be a talented advocate and became head of the HREA Industrial Department. He was subsequently elected to the position of Assistant Secretary.

In 2002, Thomson was elected as the National Secretary of the HSU, a trade union into which the HREA had merged. During Thomson's term at the union it was re-branded as a united federal union and state branches adopted similar names and logos.

Political career

In November 2007, Thomson stood as the Australian Labor Party candidate for the seat of Dobell on the New South Wales Central Coast. He was elected, winning the seat from the incumbent Ken Ticehurst of the Liberal Party.

Until August 2011, Thomson was the Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics, as well as a member of the Privileges committee and Petitions committee. As Chair of the economics committee Thomson oversaw inquiries into bank competition and a second report into productivity in Australia.

Allegations of impropriety

Use of credit cards

In December 2008, the Health Services Union (HSU) requested its lawyers to retain forensic accountants to investigate allegations of impropriety around Thomson's use of a union-issued corporate MasterCard. Specifically, there were accusations that Thomson had used the credit card to: make payments to three companies which provide or facilitate prostitution and escort services in Sydney; make payments for goods and services consumed by Thomson personally; and to withdraw $101,533 in cash. The HSU further suggested that Thomson had used the credit card to finance his election campaign in a manner which would breach Australian electoral law. For his part, at that time Thomson denied all allegations of wrongdoing, stated that an independent audit had not identified any inappropriate use of the card, noted that other people would have been able to incur charges on the account and claimed the accusations had been fabricated by rivals within the HSU.

The union's accusations were reported by The Sydney Morning Herald in April 2009. In response, Thomson initiated defamation proceedings against both the Health Services Union and against the publisher of the Herald, Fairfax Media. In pretrial proceedings in the New South Wales Supreme Court, Fairfax Media claimed that subpoenaed records showed that details of Thomson's driver's license had been noted on the credit card receipt, that phone records showed that Thomson's phone had been used to call two phone numbers associated with a Sydney escort agency and that mobile phone records showed that Thomson had travelled from his constituency to Sydney on one of the nights on which one of the impugned charges to the credit card had been made.

Thomson continued to deny accusations of impropriety and Fairfax Media's claims were never tested or proven at trial: shortly before the defamation trial was due to begin in April 2011, a notice of discontinuance was filed on Thomson's behalf with the New South Wales Supreme Court. Thomson claimed that he had reached an out-of-court settlement with Fairfax Media and continued to deny any allegation of impropriety made against him; Fairfax Media claimed that Thomson had "dropped" the case and maintained all allegations made against him. It was subsequently revealed that the Australian Labor Party had contributed towards Thomson's legal costs in the actions.

In a radio interview in August 2011, Thomson stated that he had approved payments made by the Health Services Union to a Sydney escort agency but denied having used the card to pay for prostitution. Rather, he said, another man (who he declined to identify) had used his credit card to pay for escort services and may have forged Thomson's signature in the process and produced a copy of his photo drivers licence as identification; he claimed that unidentified man had subsequently repaid $15,000 to the Health Services Union.

A three year investigation by Fair Work Australia of improprieties in the use of union funds describes $6 000 spent on escorts, $103 000 withdrawn as cash advances from union credit cards, and $270 000 spent on his 2007 election campaign. Fair Work Australia has commenced proceedings against Thomson in the Federal Court. Thomson has called the 1 100 page report, tabled on 7 May 2012 in the Senate as "nothing short of a joke".

Plagiarism

In December 2011, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Thomson had plagiarised various internet sources when tabling a report to parliament after an overseas trip. The report was tabled four months late and included material taken from Misplaced Pages, the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission with no citations.

Political consequences

During Question Time on 16 August, the Prime Minister Julia Gillard was asked about Thomson: "I have complete confidence in the member for Dobell," Gillard said. "I look forward to him continuing to do that job for a very long, long, long time to come".

On 18 August 2011, Fair Work Australia revealed it was investigating whether Thomson misled the initial probe into allegations his former union credit card was used to pay for prostitutes. Additionally, court documents in the Fairfax defamation case showed that Thomson's mobile phone had apparently been used to call escort agencies on several occasions in 2005 and 2007.

On 23 August, Thomson resigned as chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics. On the same day, the New South Wales Police Force confirmed it would complete an "internal assessment" to determine whether or not "a criminal offence has occurred". On 7 September, a spokesman for New South Wales Police confirmed that they would not be conducting a formal investigation or laying charges, but indicated the case had been referred to Victoria Police as the HSU's financial controls were conducted in Melbourne.

On 28 April 2012, Thomson requested suspension of his ALP membership and that he would sit on the crossbenches as an independent.

Personal life

Thomson has been married twice, first to Christa, and then, on 21 January 2011, to Zoe Arnold, a radio newsreader and media advisor. The couple have two daughters, Matilda, born in July 2009, and , Adelaide, in September 2011.

References

1. "Senators and Members, by Date of Birth". The 42nd Parliament. Parliamentary Library. 17 September 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
2. ^ "Commonwealth of Australia Legislative Election 24 November 2007". Retrieved 24 January 2010.
3. Embattled Thomson quits Labor party: ABC 29 April 2012
4. Metherell, Mark (9 April 2009). "'Country boy from Bathurst' a rising star in Canberra". The Sydney Morning Herald.
5. Geesche Jacobsen (4 February 2001). "Ambulance Officers On Strike Alert". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
6. "Mr Craig Thomson MP Dobell". ABC News. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
7. "Labor wins marginal Dobell". ABC News. 24 November 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
8. ^ "Craig Thomson union credit card rort paid for brothels". Smh.com.au. 8 April 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
9. "MP silent on 'credit card rort'". Smh.com.au. 9 April 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
10. "Craig Thomson|$1million union damages". Smh.com.au. 18 February 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
11. "MP's defamation case settled". Abc.net.au. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
12. "MP linked to prostitutes". Smh.com.au. 7 December 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
13. ^ "Labor MP drops case against Fairfax". Smh.com.au. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
14. "The gloat may cost". Blogs.news.com.au. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
15. Forton, Danny (16 August 2011). "Labor MP Craig Thomson a protected species: Tony Abbott". The Australian. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
16. Jeremy Thompson (2 August 2011). "MP admits authorising escort payments". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
17. Lane, Sabra. "Fair Work report finds Thomson misused union funds". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
18. news.com.au. 14 December 2011 http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/craig-thomson-cut-and-pasted-report/story-e6frfku0-1226222416085. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
19. smh.com.au. 15 December 2011 http://www.smh.com.au/national/labor-mp-excels-at-the-cut-and-paste-of-world-travel-20111214-1ov0i.html. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
20. The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 August 2011 http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/thomson-saga-sinks-labor-into-the-abyss-20110821-1j4im.html. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
21. "Thomson in new credit card probe".
22. Business, prostitute calls made on the same night with Thomson's phone, The Sydney Morning Herald, 23 August 2011.
23. Johnson, Chris: Thomson vacates committee chair, The Canberra Times, 24 August 2011.
24. "NSW Police to assess allegations MP Craig Thomson misused his union credit card". AAP. 23 August 2011.
25. Police rule out Thomson investigation, ABC News, 8 September 2011.
26. "Embattled Thomson quits Labor party". ABC News. 29 April 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
27. Barnes, Denice: Bells ring out for MP and his bride, Central Coast Express Advocate, 26 January 2011
28. Farr, Malcolm: Crean, Turnbull to miss Olley memorial after Abbott demands Thomson debate, news.com.au, 24 August 2011
29. Barnes, Denice: Matilda waltzes into life of clearly besotted MP Craig Thomson, Central Coast Express Advocate, 5 August 2009
30. Thomson's pregnant wife: My week was 'hideous', The Sunday Telegraph, 21 August 2011
31. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/baby-joy-for-hsu-union-rort-accused-mp-craig-thomson/story-e6frf7jo-1226165814326

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