NSW union boss charged after 167 guns allegedly found strewn across his home

A long-term senior official with the Electrical Trades Union NSW has faced court on a string of charges, including firearm offences and dealing with proceeds of crime after police allegedly found 167 guns at his house and more than $120,000 in cash.

Glen Potter, who has had a leadership role with the NSW Labor-affiliated union since 2017 and also works at Sydney Trains, was arrested at his Illawarra home on Monday after emergency services were called to reports of a kitchen fire.

NSW Police raided the home after firefighters allegedly discovered firearms scattered around the house.

“Fire and Rescue NSW attended and extinguished the fire, however, upon entry emergency services located a number of firearms allegedly stored unsafely,” a police statement said.

The statement alleged that during the search warrant police “seized numerous firearms, along with numerous firearm parts, large quantities of ammunition and firearms related paraphernalia. Also seized was $121,650 in cash, which police will allege in court to be the proceeds of crime.”

Police arrested the 66-year-old when he returned home and charged him with six offences including not keeping firearms in a safe place, not having an approved storage receptacle as a firearms licence requires and dealing with proceeds of crime.

His firearms licence was suspended when he was arrested.

The ETU has been a major donor to NSW Labor, contributing $371,160 to the state election campaign over the past five years. The ETU also spent $321,135 on third-party donations.

The opposition spokesman for industrial relations, James Wallace, said the ETU was “one of the biggest donors to Premier Chris Minns and Labor”.

“This latest episode must be investigated and until the public is assured there is no wrongdoing, Minns should suspend the ETU’s affiliation with the NSW Labor Party and refuse to take any more donations from the union,” Wallace said.

When asked about the charges at a budget estimates hearing on Thursday, Minns denied knowing Potter and agreed he would not accept future donations from the official.

Refusing donations from the ETU entirely was unreasonable, Minns said.

“If you’re within an organisation and someone’s alleged to have acted inappropriately, it doesn’t mean that every member of the organisation has acted inappropriately,” he said.

The Illawarra Mercury reported that Potter’s lawyer told a bail court on Tuesday his client acquired the firearms over a number of years before the state brought in restrictions in response to the Bondi terror attack.

Lawyer Lemar Miakhel reportedly said there was no evidence Potter’s gun collection was linked to ideological or political thought or any indication it was prepared for “nefarious” use.

The Mercury reported Potter did not enter a plea but his lawyer indicated he would defend the proceeds of crime charge, which he argued was not strong. He was granted bail on condition he report to police three times a week, abstained from drugs and alcohol, and surrender his passport.

The ETU NSW has been one of the strongest defenders of the CFMEU NSW when it was put into administration following allegations of underworld infiltration and corruption.

In a statement, the ETU said Potter would be taking leave effective immediately.

“During this period, the president will not be involved in any financial, operational or governance matters of the union, nor represent the ETU in any official capacity,” the statement said.

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