George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

The coalition strongly support honest, well-governed unions, but we are deeply concerned at the culture of corruption which has emerged in a number of trade unions. I want to deal in the time available to me with the Australian Workers Union. It has been known for some time now that the Prime Minister, Ms Gillard, in her former capacity as a lawyer at Slater & Gordon was responsible for documenting the incorporation of the AWU Workplace Reform Association, a vehicle that was used for the theft of members' funds, the funds owned by honest trade union members.

What has recently come to light, though, in particular in an article by Mark Baker in yesterday's Melbourne Age is the extent of Ms Gillard's involvement as a lawyer at Slater & Gordon in a property transaction at Kerr Street, Fitzroy, the beneficiary of which was her then partner Mr Bruce Wilson. The consideration for the conveyance of that property came from two sources: $67,722.20 came from the AWU Workplace Reform Association—

Senator Wong interjecting—