Ex HSU officials call for investigation into depa’s finances
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- Published: Tuesday, 01 April 2014 00:01
Ex-President of HSU East Michael Williamson and ex Secretary Craig Thomson this morning called for an enquiry into the financial management of the Development and Environmental Professionals’ Association (depa). Both ex-union officials have been convicted of defrauding the union, in Williamson’s case by millions of dollars.
The HSU has membership fees of almost $600 a year, about 50% more than depa’s fee of $398 - a fee which has remained unchanged for 11 years.
“Members of depa are entitled to ask where the money comes from. We know it just can’t be membership fees as members of our union were paying $200 a year more and that was barely enough for us” Williamson said from the back of a police wagon.
“Officials of that union must live in abject poverty, no wonder I never see any of them at lunch.”
“How can a small union (even its friends sneer at the small number of members) have $1 million in the bank, own its own office and regularly report fully to members openly and transparently? And the membership fee never goes up. Something has to be wrong.”
Thompson suggested that the absence of an official union credit card should be treated with suspicion. “Clearly porn and prostitutes are somehow being paid with cash,” Thompson said.
Meanwhile, members of depa anticipate their individual receipt of the auditor’s statement and the union’s financial statements, as usual, in April.