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Media release

HSU National Office investigation

Tuesday, 3 April 2012 Fair Work Australias investigation into the finances and financial management of the Health Services Union (HSU) National Office is now complete. General Manager, Ms Bernadette ONeill, said today she received the investigation report on 28 March 2012 and has been examining the report since that date. In accordance with a recommendation of the Delegate who conducted the investigation, advice from the Australian Government Solicitor (AGS) and my own examination of the report, I have today referred the entire investigation report to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for action in relation to possible criminal offences, Ms ONeill said. In so doing, I have not sought to satisfy myself that the material considered by the Delegate in his report establishes any particular likelihood of criminal conduct, as that is a matter for the DPP. I am satisfied that the report raises many significant matters which may be appropriate for the DPPs consideration. The investigation report comprises more than 1100 pages. The Delegate (a senior Fair Work Australia manager who conducted the investigation and prepared the report) found a total of 181 contraventions of Schedule 1 to the Workplace Relations Act 1996 (the RAO Schedule) and the HSU Rules by the National Office reporting unit, three former or current officials and one individual who was not an official of the HSU. Of the 181 contraventions, 105 relate to civil penalty provisions of the RAO Schedule. Ms ONeill said the Delegate had issued a notice of contraventions to the HSU National Office reporting unit on the same day (28 March 2012) he provided the report to her. She said she was now considering the report and its findings in detail to determine what other action should be taken, including whether proceedings should be commenced in the Federal Court of Australia. Given the size of the report and the number of contraventions, this was likely to take some time, but would be completed as soon as practicable. Ms ONeill said that the referral of the report to the DPP was the appropriate action to take, rather than to provide information to state police. I have always sought to cooperate with police to the extent that would be consistent with my powers and functions as General Manager, Ms ONeill said today. In recent months Fair Work Australia has, on the basis of legal advice, declined requests from the New South Wales and Victoria police for information in relation to the HSU National Office investigation. Ms ONeill said that on 9 March 2012 she sought updated advice as to whether it would be open to her to disclose information obtained in the investigations to police once the investigation was concluded.
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The comprehensive opinion I have received from the Australian Government Solicitor advises against disclosure of information to state police, she said. Rather, it advises that the appropriate course is to refer matters to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions for action in relation to criminal offences (including under state laws), which I have done. The advice provided was prepared by Robert Orr SC, Chief General Counsel of AGS, and Charles Beltz, Counsel, of AGS. The AGS advice also considered an opinion of Stuart Wood SC and concluded that that opinion does not deal with the question whether any Act other than the [Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009], such as the Privacy Act, may prohibit the disclosure of information obtained in the course of an investigation by the General Manager of Fair Work Australia to law enforcement bodies such as the NSW or Victoria police. Nor does it deal with possible breach of confidentiality by the disclosure. Nor does it deal with other legal risks that disclosure might entail. A copy of the AGS legal advice in full accompanies this release.

Further information Communications Manager Judy Hughes Phone: 03 8661 7862, 0407 920 815 Email: judy.hughes@fwa.gov.au

www.fwa.gov.au

3 April 2012

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