Did Taxpayers Fund PM’s Rogue Union?

Date: 24 February 2000

Court documents have raised questions about whether taxpayer money was used to fund the failed registration bid by a rogue postal union whose leader had been personally endorsed by Prime Minister John Howard.

Quentin Cook's attempt to have the Postal Delivery Officers Union granted official status was thrown out of court this week, in a damning judgment by Vice President Tony McIntyre in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission.

In the judgement, VP McIntyre described Mr Cook's behaviour in treating members of the existing union, the Communication, Electrical and Plumbing Union, as "appalling, spiteful, vindictive attacks."

But more intriguing is the role of the Commonwealth Government, led by John Howard - the man who personally endorsed Cook back in 1994 when Howard was languishing in opposition and Cook was beginning his assault on the CEPU.

According to official minutes of the PDOU, tendered to the court by the aspiring union, Cook told the executive that "Legal Aid has been granted..." to allow the PDOU's application for official status.

The issue of where this Legal Aid came from is unclear, although legal experts say that state Legal Aid Commissions have a statutory requirement for recipients of state legal aid to inform the parties of their involvement in the case.

No such advice was granted to the CEPU or the other parties to the case, meaning al fingers now point to Canberra/

Unions are now pressing the government to come clean on whether they funded the Cook challenge and the ALP is expected to pursue the issue in Parliament.

Shadow Attorney General Rob McLelland has already raised questions over the funding of the Cook case - but was brushed by A-G Daryl Williams claiming confidentiality.

CEPU state secetary Jim Metcher says if taxpayers money was used in such an ideological challenge, then they have the right to know.

"I would also encourage any workers who were lured into the PDOU to seek a refund of their fees and contact the CEPU," Metcher says.

For full details of the Cook case, see David Chin's analysis in our Legal Feature.

For further information

Contact:	Jim Metcher, state secretary CEPU
Union:	Labor Council of NSW
Phone:	0418 656262
WWW:	http://www.labor.net.au/

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