Gillard’s ex-lover comes out fighting over claims

SYDNEY: Julia Gillard’s former lover has broken his silence to attack the ‘‘rabid dogs’’ who he claims are out to destroy the Prime Minister.

Bruce Wilson, the man at the centre of an alleged $400,000 union fraud, refused to answer questions about Ms Gillard’s involvement in creating a union ‘‘slush fund’’ while she was a senior lawyer with Slater & Gordon.

The former Australian Workers Union official yesterday said Ms Gillard was ‘‘more than capable of discussing’’ allegations that have dogged her since the mid-1990s.

In his first public comments since the alleged scandal 17 years ago, Mr Wilson also confirmed that he had met high-profile publicity agent Max Markson to discuss a possible media deal.

It is believed at least one television network has expressed interest in buying his story.

Mr Wilson was found in a small country bistro about three hours from Sydney, where he works as a part-time cook.

The quiet coastal life is a long way from frontline industrial poli- tics and the former AWU hard man plans to keep it that way.

He refused to answer questions about Ms Gillard’s involvement in helping establish the AWU Workplace Reform Association, which was allegedly used to ‘‘launder’’ monies obtained from employers.

Asked if he was aware that any of these funds had been spent on Ms Gillard personally or on a property she once owned, he replied: ‘‘That is something that I am not prepared to comment on.’’

The former AWU State Secretary met Ms Gillard when she was a lawyer with Slater & Gordon and forged a close personal relationship which lasted several years.

In a 1996 affidavit, the former AWU joint national secretary, Ian Cambridge, now a Commissioner at Fair Work Australia, said the accounts ‘‘have been used to hold and/or ‘launder’ union funds’’.

Exactly how much is unknown but AWU National President, Bill Ludwig, in his own affidavit suggested it could have been as much as $1 million.

Now aged in his mid-50s, Mr Wilson once cut a dashing figure and was reportedly touted as a future Labor leader.