AWU affair

This article is part of a series about Julia Gillard
Early life and career Member for Lalor (1998–2013) 1998 federal election 2006 Labor Party spill Deputy Prime Minister of Australia 2007 federal election Fair Work Act Building the Education Revolution Digital Education Revolution NAPLAN ACARA My School Prime Minister of Australia First Ministry Second Ministry Election 2010 federal election Carbon pricing scheme Minerals Resource Rent Tax Gonski report Immigration policies National Broadband Network 2012 Labor Party spill National Disability Insurance Scheme Misogyny Speech AWU affair March 2013 and June 2013 Labor Party spills My Story
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The AWU affair refers to allegations of embezzlement via a fund established for the AWU Workplace Reform Association in the early 1990s by Bruce Wilson and Ralph Blewitt, officials of the Australian Workers' Union (AWU). Wilson and Blewitt raised $400,000 from major construction companies, and have been accused of using the funds for personal benefit, including diverting funds for the purchase of a house in Fitzroy.

Julia Gillard, who subsequently became Prime Minister of Australia, was a salaried partner at law firm Slater & Gordon who provided pro-bono legal services to Wilson, with whom she was romantically involved, for the establishment of the Association and for the purchase of the Fitzroy property. Gillard's conduct was the subject of an internal investigation by Slater and Gordon. After stating that she had no intention of leaving Slater & Gordon, Gillard left the firm prior to the conclusion of the investigation, and pursued a career in politics.^[1]

The alleged misappropriation of funds and related activities have been the subject of police and media investigation. The AWU has not brought charges against Wilson or Blewitt. Ian Cambridge, the former AWU national secretary and current Fair Work Australia commissioner, who detected the alleged misuse of funds in the 1990s, called for a judicial inquiry into the affair.^[2]

Although Blewitt has admitted his role in the matter, Wilson, and Gillard have denied any wrongdoing.^[3] The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption investigated the matter and recommended that fraud charges be considered against Wilson and Blewitt, but that there were no grounds for prosecuting Gillard, though her conduct as a solicitor had been "questionable".^[4]