Former union leader and one-time whistleblower Kathy Jackson has formally pleaded not guilty to misappropriating about $500,000 from the Health Services Union for her own personal expenses, and been committed to stand trial.
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Ms Jackson appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday for the start of what was meant to be a hearing over several days to determine whether she would face a jury in a higher court, but after discussions between her lawyers and prosecutors, the matter was adjourned straight to trial.
Prosecutors allege Ms Jackson misappropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars from the HSU while she was the union's national secretary and used those funds to pay for personal expenses including airfares, hotel rooms overseas and restaurant bills.
Ms Jackson helped expose corruption in the HSU and the downfall of former union officials Michael Williamson and Craig Thomson, faces the prospect of jail if found guilty of the charges.
In 2015 the Federal Court ordered Ms Jackson pay back almost $1.4 million to the HSU after finding she used union funds to support a lavish lifestyle of overseas trips, luxury accommodation and fine dining.
Ms Jackson was accompanied in court by her partner, former Fair Work Commission deputy president Michael Lawler, and several other people and at times chatted and laughed while waiting for magistrate Simon Zebrowski to enter the courtroom.
Prosecutor Mark Gibson told the court Ms Jackson's lawyers did not need to cross-examine witnesses during the committal hearing, and so the case would be sent directly to trial. Mr Zebrowski then formally committed Ms Jackson to stand trial.
Ms Jackson had her bail extended to appear before the County Court on Tuesday so a date can be set for her trial. She might not go before a jury until 2019 given the backlog of trials before the County Court.
Under the conditions of her bail, she can live at her home in Wombarra in NSW and must not leave Australia. She cannot make contact with any prosecution witnesses other than the lead police investigator and Ms Jackson's former husband, ex-HSU official Jeff Jackson.
The court heard her passport was in the possession of her bankruptcy trustee.