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February 15th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda 
Slow moving inquiry into the Member for Dobell Craig Thomson has already costs hundreds of thousands. Picture: Ray Strange
Source: The Daily Telegraph
MP Craig Thomson in the House of Representatives in Parliament House in Canberra today. Picture: Gary Ramage
Source: The Daily Telegraph
MORE than $400,000 has been spent since September trying to hurry up the probe into allegations against Labor MP Craig Thomson but the report is still at least a month away.
Directors of Fair Work Australia, which has been running the probe for more than three years, today admitted there were “legitimate questions” as to why the inquiry has taken so long.
And they told consultants KPMG would be holding an independent review of the investigation and the “unreasonably long time” it has taken.
They tried to speed up matters late last year. About half of the $900,000 the inquiry has been billed by the Solicitor-General for assistance in the inquiry went to attempts to hasten finalisation of the report.
The admissions of tardiness are certain to be raised by the Opposition in Parliament.
However, directors of FWA told a Senate estimates committee the inquiry was unprecedented and part of the delay was that one respondent to the inquiry has not yet replied to a draft report. The directors said they were unable to name any of the respondents for legal reasons as the inquiry was still underway.
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Since April, 2009, Fair Work Australia has been investigating claims, including alleged misuse of credit cards for the payment of prostitutes, against Craig Thomson when he was national secretary of the Health Services Union.
The Opposition is keen for a report to be finalised as an adverse finding could lead to charges against the Labor member for Dobelle, and a conviction force him out of Parliament. The Opposition also would consider a vote of no confidence against the Government he was a member of, based on an adverse finding.
The political sensitivity of the issue has added to pressure on FWA.
“I’m of the view that on the face of it the investigation has taken an unreasonably long time,” said FWA director Bernadette O’Neill today.
“And that that raises legitimate questions as to why it has taken so long.”
Ms O’Neill said, “These investigations are unprecedented in terms of size and scale and complexity and are unprecedented and only a very small number have been undertaken. So I do think there are inevitably lessons to be learned about the conduct of the investigations.”
Another FWA director, Terry Nassios, acknowledged to the committee that the investigators had indicated late last year the final report would be ready in January.
“As at mid-October…I was working on a timeline that by mid-November those letters (to respondents) would have been sent out,” said Mr Nassios.
He had thought the investigation would be over by November-December. But he had “misjudged the quantity of material” needed for the letters. One person still has not responded and has until March 5 to do so.
He expected a final report in March, because “obviously there is some interconnection between those responses and the final response”.
Mr Nassios said the failed deadline became clear in early November.
“Half of the cost of this investigation has been expended from September onwards in an attempt to finalise this as quickly as possible,” he told the committee.
“That is the expenditure with the Australian Government Solicitor.
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