Sunfish - Senator Sterle was a truckie before becoming a TWU official, and there are a few others that worked up the ranks so to speak.
HSU has been dire for years. Kathy Jackson's ex has a lot to answer in my view....
In relation to your last question and as Fed Sec noted, in my view any good work by unions for the interest of members and industry is still 'good work' regardless of what is happening around them. Sure every time Dave Oliver in his new role as ACTu Sec is going to have to answer questions about this stuff and defend the cause, but that won't diminish some of the other good work that unions do.
Greater transparency in business, including union business can inly be a good thing.