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The privileges committee was silent after their first meeting to decide the fate of MP Craig Thomson.
Perhaps it’s time for our politicians to turn to more important matters than the sad Craig Thomson affair.
EMBATTLED MP Craig Thomson has hit out at A Current Affair, accusing the program of “grubby” cheque book journalism after he was told it planned to air a $60,000 interview with a Sydney prostitute claiming he was a client.
The escort is believed to have been provided with a photograph of the Federal MP and asked whether she could identify him.
The Channel 9 current affairs show spent 90 minutes in Mr Thomson’s parliamentary office yesterday seeking his response to the claims from the anonymous prostitute.
Mr Thomson told The Daily Telegraph the show’s producer had told him the woman had been paid for the interview.
He confirmed he had been told the woman identified him from a photo.
It is understood she was offered $60,000 for the interview. Mr Thomson confirmed he had been made an offer to view a DVD of the interview but had declined.
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A promotion for the show was tweeted yesterday.
“They said they have got the tape if you want to see it. I asked them if they paid for the interview and they said ‘Yes’,” Mr Thomson said.
“To buy a story from a prostitute is chequebook journalism at its worst.
“Who is going to take this seriously when they pay a prostitute money? It has absolutely no credibility.”
The program’s producer Grant Williams spent 90 minutes in Mr Thomson’s office during question time, from which the MP was absent.
The discussion was only interrupted by Mr Thomson being forced to attend divisions in parliament over opposition motions to force Prime Minister Julia Gillard to reveal whether she believed Mr Thomson. He has denied using a union credit card to pay for prostitutes when he was head of the Health Services Union.
Mr Williams would not make any comment about the planned expose or when it might be broadcast.
Mr Thomson said he hoped ACA “does the responsible thing” and not air the interview. He is planning to take legal action against the station.
It is believed that the program may not be aired until next week.
“They are trying to buy their way into a story. It’s completely grubby,” Mr Thomson said. He claimed that ACA had also previously offered his wife Zoe a “substantial” amount of money for an interview but the couple knocked it back.
It is now likely that key witnesses could be asked to give evidence before a powerful parliamentary committee examining whether Mr Thomson misled the House of Representatives during his defence of the allegations against him to Federal Parliament.
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