MARCO BOLANO MEDIA RELEASE - 21 MAY 2012 CRAIG THOMSON'S CLAIMS AGAINST ME ARE FALSE I do not intend to dignify

Mr. Thomsons fantastic and dishonest claims with a detailed response. To do so would only serve to provoke further absurdity. Any suggestion that I conspired to "set up" Mr. Thomson, as he has claimed from behind the protection of parliamentary privilege, is utterly false and an abuse of his parliamentary privileges. I note that only last week the Victoria Police - who are investigating Mr. Thomson's misuse of members' money when he was National Secretary of the HSU announced that Mr. Thomson has declined to identify to them the people who he now claims set him up. That is, Mr. Thomson is prepared to smear me and others from the Parliament but not prepared to give that same information to the very police who are investigating the offences for which he now claims he was set up. Mr. Thomson's abuse of parliamentary privilege is manifest and the Parliament should take responsibility for dealing with such an abuse by one of its own. I sincerely hope Mr. Thomson one day takes responsibility for his own actions. That he considers the impact of his choices, particularly the impact on the Health Services Union, its members and the individuals who have shone the light on corruption by some in our union. It disturbs me to watch Mr. Thomson drowning in a river of delusion. For the sake of his wife and family I hope that Mr. Thomson one day grasps a branch of reality, rather than be swept away. Only then may he hopefully find some redemption and start to move on with his life. Marco Bolano

Marco Bolano

Deputy General Secretary Health Services Union East