Unions ACT boss Kim Sattler will have to formally explain her role in the Australia Day disturbance to her organisation's governing executive.
But Ms Sattler, accused of playing a role in the lead-up to last Thursday's incident at The Lobby restaurant, has the backing of key players in Canberra's unions and is unlikely to lose her job as secretary of the labour movement's local peak body.
She will have to front the Unions ACT executive council meeting next month, and convince the delegates that she did not bring Unions ACT into disrepute with her actions on Australia Day.
Meanwhile, federal police have confirmed that a complaint about the incident at Old Parliament House, made by shadow Attorney-General George Brandis, is ''under evaluation''.
Senator Brandis wrote to AFP Commissioner Tony Negus after the force initially ruled out a probe into the circumstances of the tip-off to the protesters.
The senator, a senior barrister, alleged in his letter that offences including incitement, affray and causing harm to a Commonwealth official may have been committed and said yesterday that he suspected there had been a ''cover-up'' by the Prime Minister's office.
''The AFP can confirm that it has received correspondence from the office of Senator Brandis this afternoon relating to this matter, which is currently under evaluation,'' an AFP spokeswoman said yesterday.
''It would therefore not be appropriate to comment any further.
''We can confirm that the AFP is currently investigating events relating to the public order of protesters on Australia Day.
''As this is an ongoing investigation, it would not be appropriate to comment any further.''
Senior union officials declined to speak publicly yesterday about the accusations against Ms Sattler, but The Canberra Times understands that the matter will be added to the agenda for the meeting of the Executive Council of Unions ACT scheduled for February 16.
Ms Sattler, who could not be contacted for comment yesterday, has been identified as being responsible for passing on Mr Abbott's whereabouts to activists gathered at the Aboriginal tent embassy in front of Old Parliament House after she was tipped off by one of the Prime Minister's advisers.
Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott were later bundled out of The Lobby restaurant by protection officers after it was surrounded by a group of angry demonstrators.
Tony Hodges, the staffer who contacted Ms Sattler, resigned on Friday because of his role in the affair.
But senior ACT trade unionists have told The Canberra Times that any attempt to force Ms Sattler from her job would be met with determined opposition from the capital's union heavyweights.
''We're not prepared to see anyone get scapegoated over this beat-up,'' said one senior official.
Another trade unionist said while Ms Sattler may have made an error of judgement, there was no little support for her dismissal.
''It's not a great look, no doubt, but that [Ms Sattler's dismissal] would be going too far,'' the official said.
Unions ACT represents 24 unions from Canberra and the surrounding region with a combined membership of about 30,000. It has supplied material and political support to the tent embassy for decades.
with Peter Jean and Breanna Tucker
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