The Thomson saga: episode 453 The circus continues today: Former Labor MP turned crossbencher Craig Thomson is due to appear in a Melbourne court today where he will be formally charged with 150 counts of fraud. THREE of Labor's most senior politicians - federal Environment Minister Tony Burke, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and New South Wales Opposition Leader John Robertson - have been dragged into a corruption probe after admitting they accepted lavish ski trips from the ALP powerbroker Eddie Obeid... The Federal Parliament's disclosure rules state that ""any sponsored travel or hospitality received where the value of the sponsored travel or hospitality exceeds $300"" must be declared. Nothing necessarily wrong with accepting a gift from Obeid. But how influential was this man who could have so many senior Labor figures accept his hospitality? And why no declarations?