John Setka’s wife Emma Walters sent abusive letter praising union boss and accusing her of making up lies about him

The estranged wife of John Setka has been sent an appalling, abusive letter accusing her of making up lies about the controversial union boss.

Construction union boss John Setka’s wife Emma Walters says she is living in fear after receiving an appalling note she says was hand-delivered to the Melbourne house where she is raising the couple’s son, 8, and daughter, 10.

The daughter, whose chores included collecting the mail, was the first to read the typed note, which repeatedly refers to Ms Walters as an “Aussie c**t” and a “dumb bitch”.

It warns an ethnic group is “watching you” and they plan to expose her as an “unfit mother”.

The anonymous note also praises Mr Setka as “our great leader” and accuses Ms Walters of making up lies about him so she can “clean him up in a divorce and get custody of the kids”.

Mr Setka told The Advertiser he had no knowledge of the note until contacted by Ms Walters and branded the person behind it “a coward”.

Emma Walters, the estranged wife of CFMEU leader John Setka, was sent an abusive letter that claims she is make up lies about the union leader. Picture: Arsineh Houspian

Ms Walters told The Advertiser: “I am quite shaken by this, I feel very vulnerable”.

“But I also feel for the vulnerable women of South Australia now that the Victorian branch has taken control there – this is domestic abuse and it is a culture in the union that women in SA will now have to deal with. I am a CFMEU member but I do not feel safe.”

Ms Walters has posted the letter on Twitter – it contains vile, abusive language.

She said the note, which was not in an envelope, arrived after the daily Australia Post delivery had been collected on Tuesday, and her daughter brought it in with other junk mail including a Domino’s pizza voucher.

CFMEU boss John Setka. Picture: AAP / James Ross

On reading it, Ms Walters said she contacted police but was told without evidence of who sent it or CCTV footage showing who delivered it there was little they could do. She also rang her estranged husband.

Mr Setka said he was unaware of the note until contacted by Ms Walters by phone on Tuesday night.

“Emma was clearly upset by the letter she received in our family home letter box,” Mr Setka said.

“While I hadn’t seen the letter, so (am) not completely across the content other than what Emma told me. Regardless, I would never condone anyone sending a letter of an abusive or threatening nature to any family.

“Anyone who would send an anonymous letter is in my books a coward and I hope it is investigated by the Victorian police.”

Victorian-based Mr Setka, described as a “tyrant” by the state opposition, has taken control of the SA branch of the CFMEU as state secretary, sparking industry warnings that ambitious pay and conditions claims will cripple the sector.

The SA Labor Party accepted a $125,000 donation from the Victorian branch of the union prior to the last election, but amid growing controversy and a union sticker put on a Master Builders Association car Premier Peter Malinauskas decided to refund it – in turn sparking criticism from the union.

Ms Walters said she wanted the cash given to a domestic violence charity, as did the state opposition, given her history, which includes Mr Setka being convicted in 2019 for harassing her – that resulted in now-Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expelling him from the Labor Party.