The Fair Work Commission’s case against Craig Thomson will go to mediation, but the former Labor MP has lost a bid to have it heard in Sydney to keep his costs down as a “recently unemployed” parliamentarian.

Federal Court judge Christopher Jessup today heard the FWC and Mr Thomson had agreed to mediation on the allegations he misused union funds in his campaign for the seat of Dobell in 2007.

No date has been set to hear the civil case, which was laid by the FWC before Mr Thomson was charged with 173 criminal charges also relating to alleged misuse of union money.

Chris McArdle, representing Mr Thomson, told Justice Jessup that although the parties had agreed on mediation, Mr Thomson wanted it to happen in Sydney even though the case had been filed in Melbourne.

“Our client, frankly, has difficult in affording that,” Mr McArdle said by video link to the court in Melbourne. “It would be a tax on him for us to have to travel to Melbourne.”

Mr McArdle said it was a matter of public record that Mr Thomson was “recently unemployed” and he was also a person of “not considerable” financial means.

Mr Thomson, who was forced out of Labor last year to sit as an independent, lost his seat to the Liberal Party in September’s election.

He received only 4 per cent of the primary vote, but will be paid nearly $100,000 as six months’ salary because he contested and lost his seat.

Justice Jessup ordered the mediation occur in Melbourne, saying although he understood Mr Thomson’s difficulty it was not a sufficient reason to move the case.

Mr Thomson tried to stop the FWC’s civil case against him once criminal charges were laid, but Justice Jessup ordered the FWC could proceed with the part of its case that relates to allegations not contained in the criminal charges.

Victorian prosecutors say they have “an abundance of evidence” that shows he misused union credit cards to pay for personal perks, including prostitutes and pornographic movies.

Mr Thomson denies any wrongdoing, saying he had the authority to use the cards as he saw fit, and will fight his case at a hearing due to start in December.

—–

Do you have a workplace dispute? Affirmative Mediations is able to assist.

—–

Article: The Australian

Picture: Daily Telgraph