Is Abbott claiming a living away from home allowance illegal?
Is Craig Thomson spending union members money on prostitutes illegal?
Ads, it is alleged. The man has his moment before a court of law. It is called due process.
It might be morally wrong, sure but if a bloke is permitted to spend company money he can spend it. Morally wrong but lets see if it is fraud.
It is up to the Victorian Plod to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Thomson committed Fraud.
Its called Due Process, the foundation of our democracy.
I believe that claiming $345 of the australian taxpayers money as a night living away from home allowance whilst voluntarily partaking in a charity event MORALLY WRONG . Claiming over $3,500.00 is totally wrong.
But gooses and ganders are abound
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Years and years - decades ago even I worked as a TA for a mining support company. We did a shutdown at the Kenmare Mine site. 31 days straight - 12 hour shifts.
Anyhow what was happening by the time we got back to the camp each evening after a two can drive - we had 30 minutes to shower the shit off us and hit the food hall.
We'd end up sick through scoffing down our meals. Anyhow we rang the Boss at homebase. He just said farkkkk that, take your time, have your shower then go into town and get a meal there, get a voucher and we will reimburse you when you come back in. He also laughingly said something along the lines of and don't go farkennnn over board.
(okay open slather within reason)
Now the offsider and I were not up to scratch with the mining world enviroment back then but what I can honestly tell you that where ever we went to eat we were offered a choice of top shelf invoice, high shelf invoice, middle range invoice to cover our meal.
We might of paid for a T Bone steak but were giving vouchers for seafood platters. We were offered to go on the invoices the cost of a bottle of wine.... top shelf - normal - or just some beers. All we had to do was nominate the options....... didn't matter what we actually ate.
Back at homebase no questions were ever asked about our invoices ... we could of thrown in lobsters and oysters.... they wouldn't of minded. Mate and I just stuck with the steak and veg type invoices .... plus a couple of beers. Same offer was made at the Chinese tucker joints.
Now since those days I have had some mates that have achieved high positions withing mining and other companies. They have company cards. I know what they can get up too, and what they can do with the cards. Now my mates are reasonably fair and honest blokes.
My point... company credit cards are thrown around out there in the real world, same as the good old days of the long lunch.
Like it or lump it.
BUT FRAUD BEYOND A REASONALBE DOUBT ??
