Opposition Demands CFMEU Deregistration Amid Fresh Corruption Allegations
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Australia’s Opposition Leader demanded the deregistration of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union on Monday after fresh revelations exposed meetings between union officials under government-appointed administration and alleged underworld figures, escalating political pressure on the Albanese government’s handling of the embattled construction union.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley pressed Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth during Question Time about whether the government maintained confidence in hand-picked CFMEU administrator Mark Irving following investigative reporting by journalist Nick McKenzie.
“Under Labor’s hand-picked CFMEU administrator, corrupt and criminal CFMEU officials have been meeting with underworld figure Mick Gatto and violent abuser John Setka, as well as receiving secret bribes,” Ley said in her opening question. “Does the Minister still have full confidence in Mark Irving?”
The allegations center on conduct that has emerged despite Irving’s appointment to clean up the union after the government placed the CFMEU into administration in response to earlier corruption scandals. The fresh accusations involve continued contact between union officials and figures linked to organized crime, raising questions about the effectiveness of the administration process.
Rishworth defended Irving’s work and the administration process, telling Parliament the government has “absolutely no tolerance for criminal conduct or misbehaviour in the building industry.”
“That is why our government took the strongest possible action to put the CFMEU into administration,” Rishworth said. “This is very difficult work and I have spoken with the administrator on numerous occasions about just how difficult this work is. For him, he is absolutely committed to clean out this union.”
The Minister detailed Irving’s achievements since his appointment, stating he has “taken significant steps to either remove or accept the resignation of over 60 staff,” with “over two-thirds who were in leadership positions or organisers.”
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Rishworth outlined additional measures implemented under Irving’s administration, including development of a national code of conduct and statement of expectations for all staff. She said Irving has “made it absolutely clear where the union stands when it comes to gifts, organised crime, menacing behaviour and what the consequences will be.”
The administrator has also established an anonymous whistleblowing website that has received more than 500 complaints, according to Rishworth. She said complaints are triaged, with some dealt with internally and many referred to authorities.
Irving is coordinating with a joint agency working group consisting of the Australian Federal Police, the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Fair Work Commission, and police forces across all jurisdictions, the Minister added.
In a pointed comparison, Rishworth claimed Irving “has achieved more in the 16th month than the ABCC did in its whole time,” referring to the Australian Building and Construction Commission established by the previous Coalition government.
Ley returned for a second question, escalating her attack and calling for complete deregistration of the union.
“Last year, when asked whether he would deregister the corrupt and criminal CFMEU, the Prime Minister said, quote, ‘Nothing will be taken off the table,’” Ley said. “Under Labor’s hand-picked administrator, CFMEU officials have been caught taking bribes and running around with bikies and gangland figures. Will the Minister finally deregister the CFMEU as the Coalition has called for? Or is the only thing off the table this Government’s courage to stand up to corrupt criminal unions that bankroll the Labor Party?”
The Opposition Leader’s remarks directly linked the CFMEU to Labor Party funding, a politically charged accusation that unions affiliated with the Labor Party provide financial support to the party.
Rishworth rejected the call for deregistration, arguing that administration represents the strongest possible action in terms of transparency and accountability.
“The strongest possible action you can take in terms of transparency, in terms of ensuring that there is accountability, is to put the CFMEU into administration,” Rishworth said.
She contrasted the current approach with the Coalition’s establishment of the ABCC, which she characterized as “a toothless tiger.”
“If we look at some of the incidents and allegations that are being exposed at the moment, they happened under the ABCC and indeed the Coalition’s watch,” Rishworth said.
The Minister emphasized the administration’s transparency measures, noting Irving “reports twice to the parliament every single year, appoints investigations and tables those investigations or puts them on their website, puts their financial records out for the world to see.”
“This is the type of transparency that we need,” Rishworth said.
The exchange represents the latest chapter in a years-long political battle over the CFMEU, which represents workers in construction, forestry, and maritime industries. The union has been dogged by allegations of corruption, links to organized crime, and intimidation tactics on construction sites.
The government’s decision to place the union into administration earlier was itself a politically difficult move for Labor, given the party’s historical ties to the union movement. The fresh allegations and renewed Opposition pressure suggest the CFMEU controversy will continue to dominate parliamentary debate.
Neither Irving nor CFMEU officials were immediately available for comment on the specific allegations raised in Parliament.
The joint agency investigation continues, with authorities expected to provide updates on any criminal charges or findings in coming months.
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