Thomson says he's a victim of a lynch mob

21 May 2012, 7:19 pm   -   Source: AAP

Craig Thomson has launched an emotional attack on the opposition, Fair Work Australia and the media in parliament.

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Federal MP Craig Thomson claims he's the victim of a lynch mob unleashed by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, after factional enemies in the Health Services Union (HSU) smeared him with claims he misused members' funds.

More than three years after claims were first raised that he used a union-issued credit card to pay for escorts and lavish meals, the MP for the NSW Central Coast seat of Dobell launched an emotional attack on the opposition, Fair Work Australia (FWA) and the media in parliament on Monday.

"You have unleashed the lynch mob," Mr Thomson said, pointing to the opposition benches, after reading out death threats he had received, including one telling him to cut his wrist or hang himself.

"And you (the media) have fanned it."

Mr Thomson also questioned the integrity of the FWA investigation of the allegations, saying it was biased and selective and that the organisation's vice president, Michael Lawler, was the partner one of his main accusers.

During an hour-long statement to parliament, Mr Thomson, who was HSU national secretary from 2002 until his election as an MP in 2007, argued he had strong alibis for three of the seven occasions he was accused of paying for escort services.

He did not explain how his mobile phone number was used to make calls to escorts, but he argued FWA did not look at alternative theories.

"I don't have an explanation ... to definitively explain what happened," he said.

"But that shouldn't be unusual."

Mr Thomson claimed under parliamentary privilege that HSU union official and factional enemy Marco Bolano had threatened to "set me up" with "hookers" to end his budding political career.

He told MPs he had filed a complaint to other officials, including now national secretary Kathy Jackson, who is Mr Lawler's partner.

Ms Jackson said Mr Thomson's claim was "complete fantasy".

"We learned nothing new today," she told reporters in Sydney.

Mr Bolano said the claim was totally false and challenged Mr Thomson to take it to police.

"It disturbs me to watch Mr Thomson drowning in a river of delusion," he said.

Mr Thomson also questioned what role, if any, Mr Lawler had in the eventual FWA findings.

"The question the deputy president has to answer is, what influence did he have in relation to the writing of the report?" he told parliament.

Ms Jackson said the question was "false and wicked". FWA declined to comment when contacted by AAP.

Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese said Mr Thomson's statement was "very comprehensive" and called on the opposition to recognise his right to the presumption of innocence, given no charges had been laid and no conviction carried.

"If they are correct he should face the full force of the law, but he is entitled to the presumption of innocence and he is also entitled to parliament not determining legal questions," he told reporters.

Crossbench MPs Tony Windsor, Rob Oakeshott and Bob Katter all agreed MPs should not act as "judge and jury".

House leader of opposition business Christopher Pyne rejected claims the coalition was trying to turn parliament into a "kangaroo court" and that it had unleashed a lynch mob on Mr Thomson.

The coalition will spend the next few days studying Mr Thomson's speech, which it has described as unconvincing.

"If it emerges that (it) is not a complete telling of the truth, or in fact the unbelievability of it suggests he has misled the parliament, then of course the opposition will take appropriate action," Mr Pyne said.

He has already written to the powerful house privileges committee asking it to consider penalising Mr Thomson for failing to update his pecuniary interest register in a timely manner to include the payment of his legal fees by the NSW ALP.

HSU acting president Chris Brown said the matter of Mr Thomson could only be resolved by a court.

"Until that happens we are not going to know," Mr Brown said.

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