Jackson ordered to pay HSU more money

The Federal Court has ordered former union boss Kathy Jackson to pay the Health Services Union almost $1 million in costs and judgment interest.

Kathy Jackson (R) and Michael Lawler

Former Fair Work Commission vice president Michael Lawler with his partner, former Health Services Union (HSU) boss and whistleblower, Kathy Jackson in 2014. Source: AAP

Disgraced whistleblower Kathy Jackson now owes the Health Services Union about $2.4 million.

Jackson, who has declared bankruptcy, was on Tuesday ordered to pay her former union a total $997,349 in judgment interest and costs.

That additional sum means the former HSU secretary now owes the union about $2.4 million.

Jackson was in August ordered to pay the union about $1.4 million after Federal Court Justice Richard Tracey found she misappropriated its money.

He said Jackson should pay $1,338,626 in damages after finding she misused union credit cards, a slush fund and cash withdrawn from a cheque account.

Jackson used HSU money to pay for travel, groceries, entertainment and even her divorce, the court found.

She was also told to pay back $67,912 in overpaid salary.

HSU secretary Chris Brown said the union was unlikely to see the bulk of the money Jackson owed because she had declared bankruptcy, but was confident part of the sum could be recovered.

It is the last of the civil matters involving Jackson, who did not appear for the judgment.

"She has spent an enormous amount of effort trying to frustrate the process and that just pushed the costs up," Mr Brown told AAP on Tuesday.

Jackson tried to appeal Justice Tracey's judgment, but her bid was rejected by the court earlier this month.

Victoria Police are investigating her conduct at the HSU between 2008 and February this year.


2 min read

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Updated

Source: AAP



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