THE Abbott government has asked commonwealth agencies to supply detailed information about contact with unions, including during the years Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd were in office, leaked documents reveal. Unions last night condemned the extraordinary move, but the Attorney-General’s Department said the information was necessary in the event the government needed to respond quickly to the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption. Confidential government documents obtained by the ACTU show agencies have been asked by the Attorney-General’s Department to supply broad-ranging information by Friday about their contact with unions, including documents relating to policy development. Agencies have been asked to detail the nature and frequency of their consultation with unions on policies and programs, negotiations on workplace relations matters, and any appointments of union officials to government positions. Agencies have been asked whether they made any grants, including research grants, gifts or donations to unions over the past five to 10 years, a period covering the Rudd and Gillard governments as well as John Howard’s final term in office. The department has also sought information about any significant property transactions between agencies and unions over the past five to 10 years. The request seeks information about agency contact with all unions, not just the five unions being investigated by the royal commission. Agencies have been asked if they have documents relating to policy development concerning unions and payments made to unions. They have also been asked if they possess documents that contain “credible allegations’’ of wrongdoing by a commonwealth official, including a minister, agency head, ministerial adviser or public-sector employee in relation to a union. The department asks agencies if they have had direct contact with the royal commission. In a letter to agencies, the Attorney-General’s Department says it was seeking their assistance to identify “potential areas of commonwealth exposure to matters being considered by the royal commission’’. “So far, the commission has had limited attention on the commonwealth but this could change at any time should an allegation be made about the conduct of a minister, employees, agency or other matter in relation to a trade union, trade union official or member or a spate entity such as a ‘slush fund’,’’ it says. “In the event that a credible allegation were made against the commonwealth, it is important that the commonwealth is able to respond quickly.’’ ACTU assistant secretary Tim Lyons said last night that the documents showed the government’s reason for starting the royal commission was entirely politically motivated. “It’s now beyond doubt that the government is out to get trade unions and unionists any way they can,’’ he said. “The government appears to be on a political witch-hunt at the taxpayers’ expense.’’ Mr Lyons said the royal commission had the power to seek relevant information. “Why is the Attorney-General’s department seeking information that hasn’t been asked for, and which goes well beyond the commission’s terms of reference,’’ he said. “There is no justification for the department to seek such broad-ranging information going back a decade. “A blanket campaign against unions would be a serious, anti-democratic abuse of power.’’ Mr Lyons questioned whether the government was attempting to get round the longstanding practice that departments not provide ministers with briefs or other documents relating to the decisions of the previous government, whether or not those documents were cabinet in confidence. theaustralian.au/national-affairs/policy/coalition-hunt-for-union-links/story-fn59noo3-1227003574122
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 20:18:09 +0000
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