‘Terrorised workers’: Labor accused of failing to protect Australians amid latest CFMEU accusations
The Albanese government has been accused of failing to clean up the CFMEU after new accusations emerged about the scandal-plagued union.
Hundreds of CFMEU officials were removed from their positions in August last year when the federal Labor government placed the union’s Construction and General division into administration.
The move was part of a major attempt to clean up the union following multiple accusations of corruption and misconduct that were published following a months-long investigation by The Age, Australian Financial Review, and 60 Minutes.
However fresh allegations have continued to emerge since administrator Mark Irving KC took charge of the union, with fresh claims from a CFMEU insider-turned whistleblower.
In a lengthy interview with star investigative journalist Nick McKenzie, former CFMEU representative Charles Farrugia alleged the union forced him to cover up a crime in return for a job on a major project.
The ex-union official, who was employed on one of Victoria’s Big Build infrastructure projects claims he was pressured to stymie the police investigation into a violent assault after the rival CFMEU official allegedly came to his property and brutally attacked him in front of his wife and young child.
The incident allegedly led to a revenge attack after the father and two brothers arrived a short time later.
The whisteblower also told The Age that the CFMEU’s new leadership had failed to adequately combat the culture of nepotism and cover-ups within the union’s powerful Victorian branch, claiming disgraced former union boss John Setka had been able to maintain influence in the branch he previously controlled.
Asked about the latest revelations on Sky News Sunday Agenda, shadow resources minister Susan McDonald said they showed the Albanese government had failed in its most important role.
“This is a union that has terrorised workers, and not just workers, but their families, their children at school,” Ms McDonald said.
“They have skyrocketed costs so that we are struggling to deliver really important projects in a timely manner, they’ve damaged the housing market with the cost of construction.
“This is a union that is not working in the best interest of either their members or the Australian community, and I think the government has been trying to tippy toe around that.”
The Queensland Nationals Senator said she was hopeful the government would “do what they’re supposed to do” but their track record wasn’t good.
“I’m really hopeful that they will do the job that they’re supposed to do… but the Albanese government is failing in its primary role to protect Australians,” she said.
“Whether it be in their homes, whether it be in holding a great job and future Australian prosperity. This government is failing Australians.”
