Former AWU official reacts to PM's defence


Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Broadcast: 26/11/2012

Reporter: Leigh Sales

Former Australian Workers Union official Ralph Blewitt joins us from Melbourne to respond to the Prime Minister's response to claims of wrongdoing and her criticism of his character.


LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: A short time ago I was joined from our Melbourne studio by former AWU official Ralph Blewitt.

Mr Blewitt, you just heard what the Prime Minister had to say about you in the Parliament today. Why should anybody believe what you have to say?

RALPH BLEWITT, FORMER AWU OFFICIAL: Well, in response to that I would say this: Julia Gillard has been labelling this a smear campaign. I think it's a bit hypocritical of her to now come out and try and smear me to detract people from the main event here. They are going to try and tear down my integrity, my honesty. OK, I think everybody is guilty of some things in their life, none of us are pure.

LEIGH SALES: Well, was what she said accurate?

RALPH BLEWITT: Some of it was stretching the truth.

LEIGH SALES: Alright, well let's get to the substance of the allegations. Whose idea was the slush fund?

RALPH BLEWITT: Slush fund was the - the mastermind of the slush fund was Bruce Wilson.

LEIGH SALES: And what was your involvement in that?

RALPH BLEWITT: I was his, um, deputy, his trusted lieutenant.

LEIGH SALES: How much money did you personally receive via that slush fund with Mr Wilson?

RALPH BLEWITT: Personally, I had no financial gain whatsoever.

LEIGH SALES: So what was in it for you then?

RALPH BLEWITT: Keeping my job.

LEIGH SALES: So, elaborate a little bit more on that. If you didn't go along with these illegal activities, you would lose your job?

RALPH BLEWITT: I joined Mr Wilson in 1987 in the union. We then rolled the old guard of the AWU in West Australia. And Wilson came to me and said, "You're either with me or you're against me. Your choice." This was very early in the piece, back in 19 - late '80s. I saw him as being a charismatic person with the best interests of the union at heart with similar aims and aspirations to look after and work in the best interests of the AWU membership. So I hooked up with him. We both had the same ideals for the future of the workers that we represented. I then teamed up with him and helped him through that.

LEIGH SALES: So, you're saying you didn't get a cent through that fund?

RALPH BLEWITT: I might have the odd beer or dinner out with Wilson occasionally, but I personally didn't get any financial reward in any way, shape or form.

LEIGH SALES: Do you accept that $100,000 from that fund was used to buy a house in your name in Fitzroy?


LEIGH SALES: Did you know that at the time?


LEIGH SALES: What happened to the funds from the sale of that house?


LEIGH SALES: You didn't receive the funds from the sale of that house?


LEIGH SALES: You said you didn't receive any benefit from the fund, yet $100,000 from the fund was used to buy a house in your name, so that is a benefit?

RALPH BLEWITT: I was used as a vehicle by Wilson. He had complete control over that. The house was purchased in my name so as he could distance himself from it. Just the same as with the establishment of the Corporate Affairs Commission document, he used my name to distance himself from it.

LEIGH SALES: So, if you were a vehicle and you didn't receive any money from the funds, why then do you need immunity from the police?

RALPH BLEWITT: Because I was a party to the fraud. I think that's obvious, isn't it?

LEIGH SALES: Who are the people that you say you have evidence against?

RALPH BLEWITT: No comment.

LEIGH SALES: And why no comment?

RALPH BLEWITT: Look, that document and my evidence has been given to the police under advice from my lawyer. They are the only parties that should have that evidence at this point in time. There are persons of interest that the police would like to interview and I've been asked not to disclose who they are.

LEIGH SALES: Alright. Did you provide the Victoria Police with information about Julia Gillard?

RALPH BLEWITT: We provided the Victoria Police with a complete dossier of files which show documents that certainly connect Julia Gillard to having a hand in the establishment of the AWU Workplace Reform Association in WA and other matters.

LEIGH SALES: She's admitted that she had a role in the establishment of that fund. What are the other matters?

RALPH BLEWITT: No comment.

LEIGH SALES: Do you understand how people watching this might think, well, you're out here insinuating that Julia Gillard's done something wrong, yet when I ask you for specifics of it, you say "no comment"?

RALPH BLEWITT: Well, you know, there's a legal position here. I have to look to myself. I've stuck my neck out here and I don't intend to make public information I've given to the police.

LEIGH SALES: On the weekend, Bruce Wilson said that the Prime Minister had done nothing wrong and that she knew nothing about what had been going on. What do you say to that?

RALPH BLEWITT: I say this to Bruce Wilson: "I welcome you coming out in defence of the Prime Minister along with Nicola Roxon. You've both declared her not guilty. Let's pack up our bags and go home, case closed." Then I go on to say: "If you are so certain, Mr Wilson, that she has nothing to answer, then you should immediately release Nick Styant-Browne, Slater & Gordon and another law firm, Morris Blackburn's, of client privileged confidentiality. Notify them that you wish to allow them to release any documents or files that they have. If there's nothing to hide there, there's nothing to stop you doing that.

LEIGH SALES: Well, you said earlier that Bruce Wilson was the mastermind and you basically had to go along with it because you were in his employ. Surely then he would be the person who would know whether Julia Gillard knew anything or not.

RALPH BLEWITT: That's right. That's a question he has to answer.

LEIGH SALES: Well, he said she doesn't know anything.

RALPH BLEWITT: Well, let him support that by releasing the - by releasing the lawyers that may have files with his and my name on them from client privilege.

LEIGH SALES: On your Facebook page you like a group called Julia Gillard - Worst PM in History. You also like Larry Pickering, who publishes putrid innuendo about the Prime Minister. Given your support of those two things, is it a logical conclusion that you have an agenda here, an anti-Gillard agenda?

RALPH BLEWITT: No, I don't. I follow - and if you look on there you'll see that I like supporting campaigns for breast cancer awareness and stamp out paedophilia and all that sorta thing and all those other causes that I support. I support the current cause that people are defaming and trying to tip buckets on veterans and on current serving members. I support campaigns that are anti-Australian forces serving in Afghanistan. (Inaudible). What you've done is and people have done is selected a couple of items that I just happened to visit and read for a bit of a laugh. I don't - I'm not using them as a vehicle.

LEIGH SALES: So you don't think Julia Gillard's the worst prime minister in Australian history?

RALPH BLEWITT: Um, I think she's got some problems. She's not the best and she's probably not the worst.

LEIGH SALES: Have you got a vendetta against her?


LEIGH SALES: Who's paid for your trip to Australia?

RALPH BLEWITT: My out-of-pocket expenses are - out-of-pocket expenses only are being paid by Harry Nowicki.

LEIGH SALES: And who's financing Harry Nowicki?

RALPH BLEWITT: I've no idea. I think it's from his own personal bank account.

LEIGH SALES: It doesn't strike you as odd that a complete stranger's financing all of this for you?

RALPH BLEWITT: Not really. He's writing the history of the book. He's uncovered something of quite significance; he wants to pursue it. He's fanatical about it. I don't know what's in his head. I said I ...

LEIGH SALES: Does it bother you that he's fanatical about it?

RALPH BLEWITT: Nah. He wants to write a book. He wants to write a book of the history of the AWU from '87 to '95. This happens to fit in that period. Obviously it's of interest.

LEIGH SALES: Have you asked him why he wants to spend all of this money? Is he paying for your lawyer as well?

RALPH BLEWITT: Ah, he's picking up all out-of-pocket expenses at this point in time, yeah.

LEIGH SALES: So, it's a lotta money.

RALPH BLEWITT: I don't know how much it is. I got no idea.

LEIGH SALES: I'd guess tens of thousands.

RALPH BLEWITT: Well, all it is for me is an airfare and a few nights' accommodation. That's not serious money.

LEIGH SALES: Ralph Blewitt, thank you very much for making time to speak to us today.