Former AWU bagman Ralph Blewitt hands documents to police

Former AWU Victorian secretary Ralph Blewitt arrives at a Melbourne police station to be interviewed over a union slush fund. Picture: Aaron Francis Source: The Australian

FORMER AWU bagman Ralph Blewitt has spoken to Victoria Police about the operations of a secret slush fund and the conduct of various people involved in renovations at Julia Gillard's former Melbourne home.

In a press release issued following a two-hour interview with fraud squad detectives today, Mr Blewitt's lawyers said he had made a number of statements to Victoria Police and provided documents to help their investigation.

The statements cover the incorporation of the Australian Workers Union Workplace Reform Association in 1992, which Mr Blewitt set up with then AWU official Bruce Wilson, with legal assistance from Ms Gillard, who was working for Slater & Gordon in Melbourne.

“He (Blewitt), as the authorised officer of the association applied to incorporate the association to the Western Australian Commissioner of Corporate Affairs following legal advice from Slater & Gordon at their Melbourne offices,” Mr Blewitt's firm Galbally Rolfe said.

Mr Wilson was in a relationship with Ms Gillard at the time.

Mr Blewitt also gave police information about the purchase of a townhouse in Kerr Street, Fitzroy “in which Slater & Gordon acted as his lawyers in the transaction to purchase the property and acted as his lawyers in a loan in the sum of $150,000 secured against the property.”

Galbally Rolfe said Mr Blewitt had also discussed “the operation of the AWU Workplace Reform Association between 1992 and 1995 including the conduct of various parties involved in the renovation in 1994/5 of a property owned by Ms Gillard and located at 36 St Phillips Street, Abbotsford.”

Ms Gillard said in August she paid for the renovations on the house, although she told Slater & Gordon in 1995 that she could not categorically rule out that money from the union or the association had been used to pay for the work.

The Prime Minister has admitted setting up the AWU Workplace Reform Association for Mr Wilson, later describing it as a “slush fund” for the re-election of union officials.

She has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, saying she knew nothing of the operations of the fund which was used to siphon about $400,000 from building companies with bogus invoices issued by Mr Blewitt and Mr Wilson for work that never occurred.

About $100,000 of this money was funnelled into the purchase of the Fitzroy house, which was bought in Mr Blewitt's name for Mr Wilson's use.

Ms Gillard attended the auction.

Galbally Rolfe said Mr Blewitt had been contacted by the Western Australia police fraud squad and would cooperate with any investigation they launched.

“In 1995-96 Victoria Police investigated the conduct of Bruce Morton Wilson in relation to a bank account styled `Australian Workers' Union Members Welfare Association No 1',” the firm said.

“The role of the AWU-Workplace Reform Association and the purchase of the property at 1/85 Kerr Street, Fitzroy has not been examined by Victoria Police until today.”

Mr Blewitt made his statement to police under an Office of Public Prosecutions guideline covering indemnity applications, which will ensure none of the material in his statement would be admissible in court against him.

Former AWU bagman Ralph Blewitt hands documents to police