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May 8th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda Key independent Tony Windsor is standing by the federal government despite a scathing report about former Labor MP Craig Thomson.
Fair Work Australia (FWA) found that Mr Thomson spent almost $500,000 of union members’ funds on escorts, cash withdrawals, meals and electioneering, including $1,425 after he became a federal MP.
Mr Thomson has stood aside from the Labor caucus to sit as an independent while the matter is resolved.
The MP is alleged to have spent more than $71,000 of Health Services Union (HSU) funds on his campaign for the federal seat of Dobell, as well as almost $200,000 on national office staffers connected to his campaign.
The opposition has said the government can no longer accept the vote of Mr Thomson.
But Mr Windsor says he doesn’t believe there is any capacity to reject Mr Thomson’s vote.
“The only way that would play out would be for Craig Thomson to leave the building,” he told ABC Radio on Tuesday.
Mr Windsor, who has not read the 1100-page FWA report, is sticking by an agreement he made with Labor to guarantee supply and confidence for the government.
“I will be adhering to that agreement until I find good reason not to,” he said.
“My arrangements with the government don’t include Craig Thomson.”
Cabinet minister Penny Wong refused to say whether she would be comfortable with Mr Thomson returning to the Labor caucus.
“It’s not a question to be answered now,” she told ABC Radio.
When asked whether the government should be relying on Mr Thomson’s vote in parliament, Senator Wong said: “He’s entitled to defend himself.”
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the government is now facing a crisis of integrity.
But the coalition won’t be moving a vote of no-confidence in the government when parliament resumes later on Tuesday.
“As long as the prime minister is relying on a tainted vote there’s no point,” Mr Abbott told reporters in Canberra.
“What I suggest is the tainted vote of Mr Thomson should be disowned by this prime minister.”
Mr Windsor and fellow independent Rob Oakeshott, who also supports the government, should “finally wake up to themselves” and start listening to their electorates.
Mr Abbott said Prime Minister Julia Gillard wanted to claim the moral high ground by booting Mr Thomson out of the caucus while continuing to rely on the vote of someone who had “utterly betrayed” the people he was supposed to represent.
Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce pointed to a decision by former prime minister John Howard in 1998 when he refused support from senator Mal Colston, who was facing criminal charges.
“In this instance the Labor party could do the same,” he told reporters.
Given the FWA report was in the public domain, a vote from Mr Thomson was “not a vote that you want to have”.
Australian Greens leader Christine Milne said Mr Thomson had been democratically elected.
“He is entitled to cast a vote in the parliament until he either resigns or he is not voted in at the next election, or obviously he is not pre-selected,” she said.
Labor MP Nick Champion said Mr Thomson was still entitled to vote in the House of Representatives.
“People are elected to parliament for three years and they’re entitled to vote for that period of time,” he told reporters.
Previously MPs subject to allegations had continued to vote in parliament.
“That will be the case this time. That will be the case in the future,” he said.
“If a person is independent and chooses to vote for legislation then that’s just an expression of their democratic right as a member of parliament.”
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