THE two Fair Work Australia investigations into the Craig Thomson / Health Services Union (HSU) matter have to date cost $1.3 million in external legal fees, the tribunal told a Senate Estimates hearing on October 17.

FWA General Manager Bernadette O’Neill said that since the investigations commenced in 2009, the costs had reached $1.3 million, not including litigation that had been initiated in relation to the HSU No 1 branch or the costs of Federal Court proceedings filed in early October 2012.

Nor did the $1.3 million include Fair Work Australia’s work in the matter but represented only external legal costs.

The KPMG review into the tribunal’s conduct of the investigations cost an extra $430,000, Ms O’Neill confirmed.

Liberal Senator Eric Abetz confirmed during the October 17 hearings that while the KPMG report made some ‘fairly stark criticism of Fair Work Australia’s’ processes in relation to the investigations, there was no criticism about its ultimate findings.

To view the full Senate Estimates Hansard, click here.