Craig Thomson (politician)

Craig Thomson
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Dobell
In office
24 November 2007 – 7 September 2013
Preceded byKen Ticehurst
Succeeded byKaren McNamara
Personal details
Born
Craig Robert Thomson

(1964-07-31) 31 July 1964 (age 60)
Wellington, New Zealand
NationalityAustralian
Political partyIndependent (2012–2013)
Other political
affiliations		Labor (2007–2012)
Spouse(s)Lynette Sharma>Christa
Zoe Arnold (m. 2011)
Alma materUniversity of New South Wales
OccupationUnionist and politician

Craig Robert Thomson (born 31 July 1964) is an Australian former trade union official and a former politician[1][2] implicated in the Health Services Union expenses affair.

Thomson was the national secretary of the Health Services Union from 2002[3] until the 2007 federal election when he was elected to the House of Representatives as member for the Division of Dobell, New South Wales, for the Australian Labor Party.[4] In April 2012 he announced his intention to sit on the crossbench as an independent member of parliament.[5] Thomson lost his seat at the 2013 federal election.

Thomson was convicted and sentenced in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on 25 March 2014 of 65 charges of fraud and theft for using Health Services Union funds for personal benefit;[6][7][8][9] and sentenced to twelve months imprisonment, with nine months suspended over two years. Thomson was initially released on bail.[10][11][12][13] and the conviction and sentence subsequently overturned on appeal.[14][15] On 15 December 2014 Thomson was found guilty in the County Court of Victoria of thirteen charges of theft, and was later fined A$25,000.[14][15] Other charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception were dismissed on appeal.[16]

On 17 October 2018, Thomson was struck off as a lawyer.[17][18]

On 17 November 2021, Thomson was arrested and charged over allegations he facilitated more than 130 fraudulent visa applications over four years, resulting in more than $2 million of financial gains.[19][20]

On 22 March 2022, Thomson was arrested at Wamberal for allegedly breaching an AVO, hours after he had already pleaded guilty to several domestic violence-related charges involving his ex wife at the Gosford Local Court. Mr Thomson is alleged to have sent two threatening emails to his estranged wife.[21]

On 23 March 2022, Thomson again appeared before the Court to face 4 new fraud charges in relation to his alleged use of falsified documents to apply for COVID-19 support payments.[22][23]

  1. ^ "Member for Dobell, New South Wales". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  2. ^ "Senators and Members, by Date of Birth". The 42nd Parliament. Parliamentary Library. 17 September 2009. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  3. ^ "Timeline of HSU credit card affair". Herald Sun. Australian Associated Press. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  4. ^ Carr, Adam. "Commonwealth of Australia Legislative Election 24 November 2007". Psephos. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  5. ^ "Embattled Thomson suspended from Labor Party". ABC News. Australia. 29 April 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference SMHguilty1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Austguilty was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference SMHguilty was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference ABCpmguilty was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference ABC-2014-03-25 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference HS-2014-03-25 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference SMH-2014-03-25 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Aust-2014-03-25 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Age-2014-12-17 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ABC-2014-12-17 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Carlyon, Peta (15 December 2014). "Craig Thomson appeal: Former MP not guilty of 49 fraud charges, guilty of theft". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  17. ^ "Former MP Craig Thomson struck off". Sterling Law. 28 October 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  18. ^ "Craig Thomson struck off as a lawyer amid HSU expenses scandal fallout". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 October 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  19. ^ "Former Labor MP Craig Thomson arrested and remanded over visa fraud allegations". Sterling Law. 17 November 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference news1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  21. ^ "Former Labor MP Craig Thomson arrested for alleged AVO breach hours after facing court". ABC News. 21 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  22. ^ "Former MP Craig Thomson charged over alleged fraudulent COVID-19 grant applications". ABC News. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  23. ^ Keoghan, Sarah (22 March 2022). "Former federal MP Craig Thomson charged over alleged fraud of COVID-19 schemes". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 March 2022.