Craig Thomson sentenced over misuse of HSU funds
Former federal MP Craig Thomson will spend three months in jail for spending union funds on prostitutes and personal expenses.
Thomson has been sentenced to 12 months' jail, nine months of which are suspended for two years.
He has been bailed pending an appeal, set down for November 24.
In sentencing, Magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg was scathing of Thomson's conduct.
"The offences exhibit a brazen arrogance and a sense of entitlement in dealing with the funds of members," Mr Rozencwajg said.
He said the fact the union funds were used to pay for sexual services did not affect the sentence, but it highlighted the selfish ends of Thomson's behaviour.
"Nothing has been put before me to suggest these offences were committed for any reason other than greed."
Thomson, 49, was found guilty of 65 dishonesty charges over the misuse of $24,538 while the national secretary of the Health Services Union (HSU) and a Labor MP.
Mr Rozencwajg rejected a defence submission that Thomson's crimes were opportunistic.
He said the offences were committed in a fashion which exhibited a lack of accountability and blatant dishonesty over a period of several years.
He said in his role of HSU national secretary, Thomson had been charged to protect and advance the interest of his members.
Instead, he used their funds in a manner which was a breach of trust of the highest order.
Thomson was taken into custody while appeal papers were filed.
Prosecutors had indicated they would not oppose Thomson being released on bail pending the appeal.
Thomson's barrister Greg James QC had asked that Thomson not be taken into custody, arguing it would be easier for him to remain free as appeal papers were about to be lodged.
But Mr Rozencwajg said normal procedure should be followed.
Thomson had faced up to five years in jail.
The prosecution had argued Thomson's conduct was arrogant in the extreme and he must be jailed.
Thomson's lawyers argued he should be spared jail as he has a major depressive illness and can never again enter public life because of the case.
The former Dobell MP was last month found guilty of 65 charges of obtaining property by deception and theft, after he spent more than $5500 on escorts and made cash withdrawals worth $6250 between 2002 and 2008.
Thomson has agreed to repay the misused funds and has been formally ordered to do so by the magistrate.
Mr Rozencwajg stressed during sentencing that it was important that equal justice applied to all people, including politicians.
Taking public opprobrium or stigma into account when sentencing would seem to favour the well known above the lesser known, he said.
No sympathy for Thomson from Labor MPs
There's little sympathy left in Labor's ranks for former MP Craig Thomson, with two MPs saying he should face the full weight of the law.
Labor frontbencher Tony Burke said the law had been broken.
"Then the full force of the law should come down. It's as simple as that," he told reporters in Canberra.
NSW Labor MP Michelle Rowland said Mr Thomson had put his case and that had been dealt with.
"The full force of the law can and will be applied," she said.
"What has happened has been a really sorry episode in terms of what happens when you betray people who put their trust in you."
Ms Rowland said low-paid HSU workers had a right to be angry.
"I actually just think it is a really sorry episode," she said.
Liberal minister Christopher Pyne said his sentencing would not be a cause for celebration on the coalition side.
"The whole Craig Thomson scandal has been a stain on the Labor Party, a stain on the union movement," he said.
"Stains on the other major political party and on the union movement are not cause for celebration."
