Tradie who sexually assaulted women on reno jobs was free to keep building

Following Courier-Mail revelations, a state minister has moved to cancel the licence of a tradie who was allowed to continue working despite sexually assaulting clients in their homes.

Queensland’s beleaguered building industry watchdog has taken no action against a Townsville tradie who admitted to sexually assaulting women while carrying out renovation work in their homes.

William Emanuel Camilleri pleaded guilty early last month to eight counts of sexual assault and was handed a 12-month sentence, suspended for three years.

But, nearly seven weeks later, the Queensland Building and Construction Commission has neither suspended nor cancelled his contractor’s licence.

No conditions on his licence have been put in place, no reprimand issued and no fines imposed.

William Emanuel Camilleri

Camilleri’s solely-owned company, WEC Constructions Pty Ltd, also remains fully licensed for low-rise building, with no restrictions on its ability to trade.

That’s despite a QBCC policy saying it “expects all licensees to be fit and proper persons at all times’’.

The astonishing failure to do something comes as the regulator is already reeling from the departure of more than two dozen senior figures largely as a result of pressures emanating from the union-dominated board.

Indeed, just this week chief financial officer Ian Wright called it quits after only about six months in the job.

The Opposition smells blood and is ramping up the attacks on the dysfunction inside the QBCC and the responsible minister, Mick de Brenni.

Opposition housing spokesman Tim Mander denounced the lack of action against Camilleri as “outrageous’’.

“The cavalier attitude and rudderless culture of the QBCC means instead of cowboys losing their building licences, they’re being given free licence to wreak havoc on Queenslanders,’’ he told City Beat.

“Mick de Brenni is operating in a world where he believes it is okay for convicted criminals to keep their licence. That’s not OK with me. The public needs protections, not a do-nothing watchdog with no bite.’’

Tim Mander, the Shadow Minister for Housing and Public Works

In response to this article, Mr de Brenni said on Wednesday night: “I was advised that a decision not to use provisions to immediately remove this individual’s licence was taken by two senior licensing officers in May 2019 who have now subsequently resigned from the QBCC.

“In these circumstances I immediately asked the QBCC to advise me what action and powers it was using to suspend this individual’s licence pending a process considering permanent cancellation.

“I am advised that regulatory action to cancel or suspend the license has been commenced and will be rigorously pursued.

“I share the community’s expectation that our licensed tradespeople be fit and proper in all their dealings and that consumers are protected.

“To hold a licence, you must be a ‘fit and proper’ person. For companies, this includes directors, secretaries and other influential people.”

Our spies report that the Camilleri matter is emblematic of a wider problem at the QBCC. One former insider tells us the agency “does not have a regulatory strategy in place to take timely and appropriate against licensees who commit serious criminal offences’’.

To learn more, one of Mander’s colleagues put a question on notice in Parliament last week seeking information on how many tradies have been convicted of indictable offences since 2015 and later got disciplined or had their licences revoked.

A QBCC spin doctor declined to comment Wednesday about the Camilleri case, citing “privacy reasons’’.

In actions that prosecutors described as “opportunistic and predatory,’’ the Townsville District Court heard that Camilleri assaulted five women over a three-year period to March 2019.

The offences included kissing them on the lips without consent, cupping their buttocks, stroking their breasts and making sleazy comments.

Victim impact statements read in court were harrowing.

One of the women said Camilleri had “ruined my life,’’ leaving her feeling unsafe and unable to be alone in her own home.

Camilleri’s defence counsel later publicly apologised on his behalf to the women and said the actions were out of character.

He noted that Camilleri, 49, had no prior criminal history and claimed what he did was brief, done without force and not intended to cause distress.

Records show Camilleri has been licensed with the QBCC since 2003 and his WEC business carried out 123 jobs worth nearly $4.5m between 2016 and 2021.

“We pride ourselves on quality workmanship and making the experience one to remember,’’ the company website says.

Camilleri did not return a call seeking comment.