Craig Thomson Saga: Nine Network Holds Indefinitely Broadcast of Sex Trade Worker Interview

Embattled MP Craig Thomson may have created a stir in Parliament on Wednesday when he sat and voted with Liberals four times. However, the bigger story about Mr Thompson failed to air because Nine Network placed on indefinite hold on the same day the broadcast of its interview with a former prostitute who claimed the MP from Dobell was her client.

The sex trade worker's interview, which reportedly cost Nine Network $60,000, could help prove the charge by a Fair Work Australia (FWA) report that Mr Thomson misused $500,000 of Healthy Services Union (HSU) funds, including using the union's credit cards to pay for services of prostitutes.

Nine Network's A Current Affairs denied it developed cold feet but said it is waiting for the result of the police investigation on Mr Thomson before it pursues the story further.

The network said it has provided to Victorian police evidence from material in its possession. The police even interviewed Surry Hills prostitutes to come up with more evidence against the MP but they failed to find any sex trade worker who could positively identify Mr Thomson as a former client.

When the programme's executive producer, Grant Williams, informed the MP of the existence of the interview, Mr Thomson accused the network of grubby journalism and threatened legal action. He has denied the accusation that he used the services of sex trade workers and paid them through HSU credit cards.

Mr Thomson said he was pleased with Nine Network's decision to shelve aside the broadcast of the interview pending completion of the police investigation. He said the network's move is an indicator of its respect for due process.

Mr Thomson's decision to vote against his former party, Labor, caught the Liberals by surprise that Opposition leader Tony Abbott and Manager of Coalition Business Christopher Pyne had to make a dash for the door to negate the vote cast by the crossbencher. Mr Pyne made it out of the chamber unnoticed during the first round of voting on gagging the debt debate, but Mr Abbott was ordered to stay and his vote was counted.

Mr Abbott dismissed Mr Thomson's act as a Labor gimmick and said the Coalition would send out one MP every time the latter would vote with the opposition to keep its promise not to accept his tainted vote.