The Costigan Commission (officially titled the Royal Commission on the Activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union) was an Australian royal commission held in the 1980s.
Headed by Frank Costigan QC, the Commission was established by the Australian government in 1980 to investigate criminal activities, including violence, associated with the Painters and Dockers Union. The Commission was seen by many as politically motivated in keeping with a long running anti-union agenda by the governing party of the day.[1]
However, its enquiries led away from union activities towards investigation of so-called "bottom of the harbour" tax evasion schemes. This involved the asset-stripping of companies to avoid tax liabilities and was facilitated by criminals among the Painters and Dockers but benefited wealthy individuals.
The union
The Royal Commission's investigations soon revealed that many members of the union were involved in a wide range of criminal activities. Costigan observed that "The Union has attracted to its ranks in large numbers men who have been convicted of, and who continue to commit, serious crimes." and that "Violence is the means by which they control the members of their group. They do not hesitate to kill." Included in the crimes of Union members were "taxation fraud, social security fraud, ghosting, compensation fraud, theft on a grand scale, extortion, the handling of massive importations of drugs, the shipments of armaments, all manner of violence and murder." Despite the union's members being "careless of their reputation, glorying in its infamy" that very reputation attracted "employment by wealthy people outside their ranks who stoop to use their criminal prowess to achieve their own questionable ends."[2]
Among the recommendations of the Royal Commission was dissolution of the union.
Broader investigations
In 1984 Fairfax newspaper The National Times published leaked extracts of the Commission's draft report which implicated a prominent Australian businessman codenamed the "Goanna" in tax evasion and organised crime, including drug trafficking, pornography, and murder. Australia's richest man, media magnate Kerry Packer revealed himself to be the subject of these allegations which he strenuously denied.
Ironically it was Packer's own Bulletin magazine that had been instrumental in the calls for a Royal Commission into the union. Packer's counterattack was led by his counsel Malcolm Turnbull (later the Prime Minister of Australia) and accused the Commission of a misuse of power. No charges were laid against Packer, and in 1987 Australia's Attorney-General Lionel Bowen formally dismissed the allegations. Mystery still surrounds, however, his receipt of a supposed "loan" of A$225,000 in cash from a bankrupt Queensland businessman. When questioned by the Commission, Packer testified, "I wanted it in cash because I like cash. I have a squirrel-like mentality."[3] Packer was therefore codenamed the "Squirrel" in the Commission's case studies, but the National Times changed this to "Goanna" to preserve anonymity.
The Commission concluded in 1984 and the revelations of organised crime led to the establishment of the National Crime Authority. It also recommended changes to criminal law to deprive criminals of the profit from their crimes.
At Kerry Packer's state funeral in February 2006, his son James stated that the Packer family had never forgiven Costigan for what they took to be a smear. Costigan publicly responded that as Royal Commissioner he simply investigated, and did not make allegations or prosecute.[4][5]
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
|
|
|
1901–1920
|
| 1901–1910 |
| 1901–1905 |
- to inquire into and report upon the arrangements made for the transport of troops returning from service in South Africa in the S.S. "Drayton Grange" (1902)
- on sites for the seat of government of the Commonwealth (1903)
- on the Bonuses for Manufactures Bill (1903–1904)
- on the butter industry (1904–1905)
- on the Navigation Bill (1904–1906)
- on the affray at Goaribari Island, British New Guinea, on the 6th of March, 1904 (1904)
- on customs and excise tariffs (1904–1907)
- on old-age pensions (1905–1906)
- on the tobacco monopoly (1905–1906)
|
| 1906–1910 |
- on ocean shipping service (1906)
- British New Guinea—Royal Commission of inquiry into the present conditions, including the method of government, of the Territory of Papua, and the best means of their improvement (1906–1907)
- on secret drugs, cures, and foods (1906–1907)
- on postal services (1908–1910)
- on insurance (1908–1910)
- on stripper harvesters and drills (1908–1909)
- on Tasmanian customs leakage (1910–1911)
|
|
| 1911–1920 |
| 1911–1912 |
- on the sugar industry (1911–1912)
- on the pearl-shelling industry (1912–1916)
- on the fruit industry (1912–1914)
|
| 1913–1914 |
- to inquire into certain charges against Mr. Henry Chinn (1913)
- on Northern Territory railways and ports (1913–1914)
- on powellised timber (1913–1914)
- upon the Commonwealth electoral law and administration (1914–1915)
- on meat export trade (1914)
- on food supplies and trade and industry during the war (1914)
|
| 1915–1916 |
- on mail services and trade development between Australia and the New Hebrides (1915)
- on Liverpool Military Camp, New South Wales (1915)
- on the charges made by D. L. Gilchrist concerning the construction of the western section of the Kalgoorlie to Port Augusta Railway (1916)
- to inquire into and report upon certain charges against the Administrator and other officers of the Northern Territory Administration (1916)
- on Federal Capital Administration (1916–1917)
|
| 1917–1918 |
- on Java and the East Indies, Singapore and the Straits Settlements (1917–1918)
- on Navy and Defence Administration (1917–1919)
- on the war—Australian Imperial Force. Report as to number of members fit for active service and number of reinforcements and enlistments required (1918)
- on Public Service administration, Commonwealth of Australia (1918–1920)
- upon the public expenditure of the Commonwealth of Australia with a view to effecting economies (1918–1921)
- on taxation of leasehold estates in Crown lands (1918–1919)
- on the basic wage (1919–1920)
|
| 1919–1920 |
- on the sugar industry (1919–1920)
- on industrial troubles on Melbourne wharfs (1919–1920)
- on late German New Guinea (1919–1920)
- to inquire into complaints by the munition worker passengers to Australia by the transport "Bahia Castillo" (1919)
- on Northern Territory Administration (1919–1920)
- on taxation (1920–1923)
- on the increase of the selling price of coal (1920)
|
|
|
|
|
1921–1940
|
| 1921–1930 |
| 1921–1922 |
- on the matter of uniform railway gauge (1921)
- on pillaging of ships' cargoes (1921)
- on Cockatoo Island Dockyard (1921)
- upon the loyalty to the British Crown of German Nationals resident in Australia whose property is liable to a charge created by the Treaty of Peace Regulations made under the Treaty of Peace (Germany) Act 1919–1920 (1921)
|
| 1923–1924 |
- on the circumstances attending the supposed loss at sea of the steamship "Sumatra" (1923)
- in connection with sugar purchases by the Commonwealth through Mr. W. E. Davies in September and October, 1920 (1923–1924)
- in connection with joinery supplied to the War Service Homes Commissioner in March, 1920 (1923–1924)
- on the Navigation Act (1923–1925)
- on national insurance (1923–1927)
- on the method for determining the unimproved value of land held under Crown leases (1924–1925)
- on the assessment of war service disabilities (1924–1925)
- to inquire into extracts from the reports in Parliamentary Debates of speeches made by Mr. Scullin in the House of Representatives on 7 and 19 August 1924, in relation to land tax matters (1924–1925)
- on the finances of Western Australia, as affected by Federation (1924–1925)
|
| 1925–1926 |
- on health (1925–1926)
- on Norfolk Island affairs (1926)
- on certain matters in connexion with the British Phosphate Commission (1926)
|
| 1927–1928 |
|
| 1929–1930 |
- on the coal industry (1929)
- to inquire into allegations affecting members of the Parliamentary Joint Committee of Public Accounts in connexion with claims made by broadcasting companies against the Commonwealth Government (1930)
|
|
| 1931–1940 |
| 1931–1935 |
- on Jacob Johnson (1931)
- on performing rights (1932–1933)
- on taxation (1932–1934)
- on mineral oils and petrol and other products of mineral oils (1933–1935)
- on the wheat, flour and bread industries (1934–1936)
- to inquire into and report upon the circumstances associated with the retirement of Lieutenant-Commander Alan Dermot Casey from the Royal Australian Navy (1934)
- to inquire into the monetary and banking systems at present in operation in Australia (1935–1937)
|
| 1936–1940 |
- on doctors' remuneration for national insurance service and other contract practice (1938)
- regarding the contract for the erection of additions to the General Post Office, Sydney (1939)
|
|
|
|
|
1941–1960
|
| 1941–1950 |
- to inquire into and report upon the contract or contracts with Abbco Bread Co. Pty. Limited for the supply of bread to the Department of the Army, and other matters (1941)
- to inquire into circumstances under which certain public monies were used and to whom, and for what purposes such moneys were paid (1941)
- an inquiry into a statement that there was a document missing from the official files in relation to "The Brisbane Line" (1943)
- to inquire into and report upon certain transactions of the Sydney Land Sales Control Office, and the Canberra Land Sales Control Office of the Treasury (1947)
- to inquire into certain transactions in relation to timber rights in the Territory of Papua-New Guinea (1949)
|
| 1951–1960 |
- on the Port Augusta to Alice Springs Railway (1951–1952)
- on television (1953–1954)
- on espionage (1954–1955)
|
|
|
|
1961–1980
|
| 1961–1970 |
|
| 1971–1980 |
| 1971–1975 |
- Aboriginal Land Rights Commission (1973–1974)
- Australian Post Office Commission of inquiry (1973–1974)
- of Inquiry into land tenures (1973–1976)
- on petroleum (1973–1976)
- of Inquiry into the maritime industry (1973–1976)
- Independent Inquiry into Frequency Modulation Broadcasting (1973–1974)
- of Inquiry into transport to and from Tasmania (1974–1976)
- on Australian Government Administration (1974–1976)
- on human relationships (1974–1978)
- on intelligence and security (1974–1977)
- into alleged payments to maritime unions (1974–1976)
- to inquire into and report upon certain incidents in which Aborigines were involved in the Laverton area (1975–1976)
- on Norfolk Island (1975–1976)
|
| 1975–1980 |
- of Inquiry into drugs (1977–1980)
- of Inquiry into matters in relation to electoral redistribution Queensland, 1977 (1978)
- of Inquiry into the efficiency and administration of hospitals (1979–1981)
- of Inquiry into the viability of the Christmas Island phosphate industry (1979–1980)
- on the activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union (1980–1984)
|
|
|
|
|
1981–2000
|
| 1981–1990 |
| 1981–1985 |
- of Inquiry into Drug Trafficking (1981–1983)
- into the activities of the Australian Building Construction Employees' and Builders Labourers' Federation (1981–1982)
- into Australian meat industry (1981–1982)
- of Inquiry into the activities of the Nugan Hand Group (1983–1985)
- on the use and effects of chemical agents on Australian personnel in Vietnam (1983–1985)
- on Australia's security and intelligence agencies (1983–1985)
- of Inquiry into compensation arising from social security conspiracy prosecutions (1984–1986)
- into British nuclear tests in Australia (1984–1985)
- of inquiry into alleged telephone interceptions (1985–1986)
|
| 1986–1990 |
|
|
| 1991–2000 |
- of Inquiry into the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (1994–1995)
- of Inquiry into the leasing by the Commonwealth of accommodation in Centenary House (1994)
- of Inquiry into the relations between the CAA and Seaview Air (1994–1996)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
