By John Brinsley, Ben Richardson, 23 August 2011
Page last updated at 10:30 PM 23-08-2011
Aug. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Australia's New South Wales police will investigate allegations that federal Labor Party lawmaker Craig Thomson misused his union credit card.
Liberal party Senator George Brandis "has provided information to police in relation to a number of matters concerning a Federal Labor MP," police said in a statement. "This correspondence has now been referred for internal assessment to determine whether a criminal offense has occurred."
Brandis sent to police documents relating to transactions on a credit card belonging to Thomson when he was head of the Health Services Union before he entered parliament in 2007. The documents given to police and obtained by Bloomberg outline transactions charged to the union credit card for an escort service in Sydney in 2005 and 2007. Thomson has denied the transactions were made by him.
Thomson's future is critical because Prime Minister Julia Gillard's Labor Party rules with a majority of one seat. If he is forced to resign, there would need to be an election in his New South Wales division and losing the seat could bring down her government.
Gillard's Labor Party holds 72 of 150 seats in the House of Representatives and relies on the support of three independents and one Greens Party member for laws to pass.
"I've certainly spoken to Craig Thomson," Gillard told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio today. He "is doing his job as the local member in this parliament."
Support for the party has fallen to record lows in opinion surveys as Gillard backed down on a promise before the election not to introduce a carbon tax.
--Editors: John Brinsley, Ben Richardson
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