August 22, 2011 - 8:39AM
AAP
The federal coalition will ask NSW Police to investigate allegations of credit card fraud involving embattled Labor MP Craig Thomson.
The member for Dobell repeatedly has denied using a union credit card to pay for escort services, saying it was regularly used by other people within the Health Services Union when he was national secretary.
Opposition legal affairs spokesman George Brandis says if that's the case then a police investigation is warranted.
"It is a crime in NSW to use someone else's credit card for your own personal expenses," he told ABC Radio on Monday.
"If Mr Thomson isn't telling the truth then it seems reasonably clear that at least some of the outlays from his union credit card were for personal expenses."
That constituted a breach of the NSW Crimes Act relating to property offences, Senator Brandis said.
Fair Work Australia is investigating the activities of the union, but Senator Brandis said that inquiry was limited to industrial matters.
Senator Brandis has said police should not worry about the political implications of the Thomson matter.
"They ought merely to make their forensic, evidence based determination as to whether or not that a crime has been committed. And that is all I am asking them to do."
Opposition finance spokesman Andrew Robb says Fair Work Australia appears to have been caught "seriously flat-footed" by its pedestrian approach to the issues.
Serious consideration needed to be given to subjecting the financial running of trade unions to Australian Securities and Investment Commission oversight, he said.
"Could you imagine the head of a listed company approving his own expenses?" Mr Robb said in a statement.
"Reports that Mr Thomson's credit card was also used for ATM cash withdrawals to the tune of more than $100,000 also beggar belief."
© 2011 AAP
