Unions NSW dragged into Robertson fray

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 08 Oktober 2013 | 19.51

NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson has drawn his old union into the fray as he continues to swat away criticisms over his failure to report a multi-million-dollar bribe attempt.

Mr Robertson on Tuesday dismissed reports of leadership tensions brewing in the Labor party, saying he was "not even slightly concerned".

The Labor leader has been under attack since revealing he rejected a $3 million sweetener offered to him by murdered debt collector Michael McGurk to sell him a Unions NSW holiday property called Currawong, in Sydney's north, for $30 million.

At the time of the offer Mr Robertson was head of Unions NSW.

Currawong later came under scrutiny by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). It found former NSW lands minister Tony Kelly acted corruptly when he backdated a letter used to buy the property two weeks before the March 2011 election.

Although Mr Robertson said he hadn't alerted police or the ICAC about the bribe, he had "never kept it a secret".

"I have told (now-Unions NSW boss) Mark Lennon about it, I have told other people about it. In fact I have had a conversation in passing with journalists about this previously," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"As much as people might like to twist this and turn it, the fact is that I acted with the utmost integrity and have done through all my career."

A spokesman for Mr Lennon confirmed the exchange took place.

"Mr Lennon was made aware of this matter in general terms after negotiations for the sale of Currawong to Eco-villages had been finalised," he said.

"Mr Lennon believes John Robertson behaved with complete propriety throughout the sale process."

Unions NSW said its policy on reporting bribes is currently covered in its gift register guidelines which state "all officers and staff who receive or have been offered a gift of any kind from an employer or supplier of goods and services must declare such offer or gift in writing to the Secretary".

Unions NSW was not able to provide a copy of the guidelines at the time Mr Robertson was secretary.

NSW Greens MP John Kaye said Mr Robertson has failed to comprehend why it was important to report such matters.

"In the context of what has happened in the last decade in the Labor party, his failure to report the offer is actually a mark against his standing as a political leader," he told AAP.

Meanwhile Federal Labor leadership hopeful Anthony Albanese told Macquarie Radio that if he was offered a $3 million bribe he would report it to police.

Attorney-General Greg Smith says he will be writing to the ICAC about the attempted bribe.


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