FORMER Canberra Raiders star player and CFMEU member John Lomax has been arrested.

On inquiry ACT Policing had this to say:

This morning the Police Taskforce attached to the Trade Union Royal Commission arrested a 49 year-old Harrison man in relation to the Canberra hearings of the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption.

The Harrison man has been charged with one count of blackmail. He received Watch House bail and will face the ACT Magistrates Court at a later date.

Enquiries are continuing and it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this point.

The Australian Federal Police Taskforce attached to the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance is urging members of the ACT and NSW regional community to come forward and report matters relating to union governance and corruption.

The Royal Commission, through a Police Taskforce is working in conjunction the Australian Federal Police, to continue to investigate matters relating to union governance and corruption. The Commission is further supported by other such taskforces in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.

Commission hearings began in the ACT on July 13 and are expected to run until the end of July.

Anyone who wishes to contact the AFP investigation team can do so via the email address turc-act@afp.gov.au, report via the Crime Stoppers website (act.crimestoppers.com.au) or by phoning 1800 333 000. Information provided will be treated with utmost confidentiality.

UPDATE: The CFMEU National Division, this time around, is standing by their man saying the arrest is politically motivated:

The arrest of ACT CFMEU official John Lomax for trying to negotiate better pay and conditions for workers is an absolute disgrace, according to CFMEU National Construction Secretary Dave Noonan.

“It is unprecedented and an absolute disgrace that the Abbott Government is using the police to intervene in what is purely an industrial matter,” he said.

“Mr Lomax was arrested this morning. He was denied the right to have a lawyer present during the time he was at the police station. He has not been provided with any written document setting out allegations against him.”

Mr Lomax was told by police that he was accused of forcing an employer to enter into an EBA and that as a result the employer suffered financial loss due to paying workers higher wages.

No allegation has been made that Mr Lomax obtained any personal financial benefit.

Mr Noonan said that the government was criminalising the work of unions.

“Anyone watching the Royal Commission this week will have seen a number of union officials being questioned about going on sites over safety issues and their desire to build memberships, the inference being that this is not a legitimate activity.

“With all the important issues that the police are required to deal with, I expect – as would most of the community – their resources are better utilised dealing with Ice related crimes, violence against women or indeed, terror related activity.”

“The criminal jurisdiction is not the domain of industrial matters and this is nothing but another vicious political attack on unions and the right to defend and improve pay and conditions for working people.”