Former federal MP Craig Thomson will face dozens of new charges over his alleged misuse of union credit cards.
Thomson, 49, is already facing 173 charges over the alleged use of credit cards issued by the Health Services Union (HSU) on purchases including payment for female escorts and X-rated movies.
Prosecutors told the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday that about 50 new charges will be laid against Thomson, after his lawyers complained of doubling up and confusion.
No new criminality is alleged in the new charges, prosecutor Lesley Taylor SC said.
Thomson is already charged with 11 counts of theft, 31 counts of obtaining property by deception and 131 counts of obtaining a financial advantage by deception.
He is accused of misusing the credit cards while national secretary of the HSU and a Labor MP to pay for escorts, pornographic films, flights, accommodation, meals and cigarettes.
In most of the charges the alleged victim was the HSU, Ms Taylor said.
"He is deceiving the union by saying that this transaction is a union expense and not a personal expense," she told the court.
Ms Taylor said that in some cases he had asked on some occasions for the true nature of the credit card transactions to be masked.
However, Thomson's barrister Greg James QC said the structure of the case against his client meant it was "doomed to failure".
Ms Taylor said the negotiations between prosecutors and Mr James would continue until the matter returns to court on Monday, when the hearing is scheduled to begin.
"We are talking with purpose and good intent and we are making progress," she said.
Magistrate Charles Rozencwajg granted the adjournment, but noted the amount of time it had taken between the charges first being laid and the hearing.
"I don't know what it is about these cases, it seems very hard for them to kick off," he said.
The former Labor MP was charged in January.
Thomson lost his NSW Central Coast seat at the September election,standing as an independent but receiving less than four per cent of the primary vote.
Mr Rozencwajg extended Thomson's bail until Monday.
