A veteran senior barrister with sweeping powers to follow dirty money trails and sack union officials accused of corruption will take over the scandal-plagued construction union if Australia’s union watchdog succeeds in its plan to place the CFMEU into administration.

Fair Work Commission chief Murray Furlong launched proceedings in the Federal Court on Friday to install leading silk Mark Irving, SC, as the independent administrator of the CFMEU’s construction branches in Victoria, Tasmania, NSW and Queensland.