Qld government expands CFMEU probe to entire building industry

The Crisafulli government has announced that its recently slated inquiry into the Queensland branch of the CFMEU will be expanded to investigate corruption and crime industry-wide.

A report undertaken by Geoffrey Watson SC recently revealed shocking allegations of violence against the Queensland branch of the Construction, Forestry, and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU), spurring the government to launch an inquiry into the branch.

Watson – who was tasked by CFMEU administrator Mark Irving KC to investigate the branch – found the branch acted in a way that resembled a ruthless pursuit of “political, industrial, and financial power”, exemplified by the actions of branch leadership and its members.

“The CFMEU in Queensland actually intended to inflict physical, sexual, emotional, and economic abuse on others. The CFMEU used threats and coercion deliberately to cause fear. As will be seen, the CFMEU directed threats and intimidation at women and children,” said Watson.

The detailed report offered countless instances of violence against employers, employees, government officials, work health and safety staff – with women often being targeted by the branch and its members.

“Although the CFMEU boasts of its promotion of equal treatment of women, its actions show otherwise: the material shows the CFMEU had a focus on attacking women, and using tactics which were abusive and degrading,” said Watson.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli launched a commission of inquiry into these allegations to “lift the lid” on the inner workings of the branch, claiming the report “only scratched the surface”.

Now, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie has said that the inquiry will be expanded after further allegations were presented.

“The government will expand the terms of reference in the royal commission to investigate the revelations today of criminal gangs infiltrating the building industry in Queensland and the CFMEU,” said Bleijie via the ABC.

“It’s important that this royal commission has all the powers necessary and all the terms of reference as broad, as sufficiently broad as possible, to investigate not only the industrial disputation that we’ve seen over the last 10 years on construction sites, but also the underworld underbelly, criminal activity, criminal gang links.”

Bleijie announced that the inquiry will begin in August and will be conducted for close to a year. The parameters set for the inquiry will allow for alleged underworld figures, union officials, and persons of interest to be more accessible compared to other investigations that have been carried out so far.

In his report, Watson detailed that crucial witnesses were unwilling to present their accounts of incidents that occurred pertaining to the Queensland branch.

“An investigation like this requires some degree of co-operation: potential witnesses need to be willing to talk; potential witnesses need to be truthful and accurate.

“There was an obstinate refusal to co-operate from some critical witnesses with connections to the CFMEU. It seems, sadly, that CFMEU officials are afflicted with widespread memory loss,” he said.

The Queensland government believes that this inquiry’s power should result in more information about these allegations being presented.

Speaking on the state of the building industry in Queensland based on the report, Master Builders chief executive Paul Bidwell said: “The reality is, if we want to be an industry of choice for the next generation of young men and women, and attract the thousands of workers needed to deliver what is a never-before-seen pipeline of work in Queensland, something needs to be done to address the toxic culture that this report categorically shows exists in the industry.

“Restoring community confidence is crucial.”