Unions commission targets CFMEU boss

The trade unions royal commissioner will consider whether perjury charges should be recommended against construction union boss Brian Parker.

The lawyer leading the trade unions royal commission has urged Commissioner Dyson Heydon to find that construction union boss Brian Parker gave false evidence to the inquiry and should face charges.

Counsel assisting the royal commission, Jeremy Stoljar SC, has released submissions recommending a finding against Mr Parker over his evidence about an alleged leak of confidential member information from a superannuation fund.

He is the secretary of the NSW construction branch of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU).

Mr Parker has denied seeking or receiving information from construction industry fund Cbus to use in an industrial campaign against a Queensland building company.

Mr Stoljar described Mr Parker's evidence to the commission, delivered in June, as "unimpressive" and improbable.

Perjury charges have been recommended previously against two Cbus officers allegedly involved in the delivery of the member data to the CFMEU's Sydney head office.

Mr Stoljar has also rejected the denials of Cbus chief executive David Atkin, who told the commission in June he knew nothing about the alleged leak of confidential information to the construction union.

Mr Stoljar said Mr Atkin had "a strong self interest" in denying the information leak and said "there are a range of compelling circumstances which make those denials difficult to accept".

"The commission is not in a position to find, with certainty (that is, by reference to incontrovertible evidence), that Mr Atkin did know about and participate in the disclosure. However the available evidence does indicate that, on the balance of probabilities, he did," Mr Stoljar wrote in his submission.

Lawyers for parties before the commission have been given until Friday to make written submissions in reply.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world