A scathing report from Geoffrey Watson SC, tendered to Queensland's Commission of Inquiry into the CFMEU, has exposed deep-seated corruption within the construction union, including links to outlaw motorcycle gangs, convicted killers, and massive taxpayer waste. The report, released Wednesday, details how the union forced contractors to employ patched bikies, methamphetamine users, and violent stand-over men, turning government building sites into drug distribution centers.
The report estimates that $15 billion in taxpayer money was wasted on corrupt payments linked to the CFMEU, largely due to the union's heavy involvement in Victoria's Big Build, a $100 billion public infrastructure project encompassing the Metro Tunnel, North-East Link, and rail upgrades. More than 25 individuals who benefited from or were linked to corrupt behavior are named in the report.
Former secretary John Setka is held primarily responsible, with the report alleging he admitted to being offered hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. Setka, who did not cooperate with the inquiry, sent an abusive message to Watson. The report describes Setka as aggressive, abusive, and having close personal and financial links to organized crime.
Mick Gatto, described as a mediator and arbitrator in the construction industry, is labeled a malignant influence. The report alleges Gatto can halt work on any building site, costing builders dearly, and that he makes at least $5 million annually from retainers paid by builders to prevent shutdowns. It further claims he concealed his interests in an Indigenous labor-hire business to secure government contracts.
The report also highlights the case of Faruk Orman, a convicted murderer employed as a CFMEU health and safety officer, and untrained relatives of union delegates earning up to $15,000 a week. The losers, the report states, are law-abiding construction workers, companies, and the taxpayers of Victoria.
