CFMEU official Kurt Pauls sacked from state government board, Jarrod Bleijie confirms

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie has axed a CFMEU official from the state’s workplace health and safety board just over a week after the LNP came into power.

Industrial Relations Minister Jarrod Bleijie, in a letter, told the CFMEU's Kurt Pauls that he had made the decision to end his appointment as a worker representative member.

A Queensland CFMEU official has been sacked from the state government’s workplace health and safety board by the newly-elected LNP government.

CFMEU workplace health and safety co-ordinator Kurt Pauls was axed from the state’s WHS board by new Industrial Relations Minister Jarrod Bleijie on Tuesday.

The LNP had indicated prior to the election that it planned to sack all remaining CFMEU officials from government boards after the militant union was put into administration.

Mr Pauls was not named as a party in the Fair Work Commission case against the CFMEU, nor was he among the union officials sacked when the federal government put in place an independent administrator.

Former CFMEU official Kurt Pauls (Facebook image)

He does have an “extensive history” — as outlined in Federal Court in 2023 — of breaking workplace laws, totalling 19 contraventions of the Fair Work Act across four cases.

Mr Bleijie, in a curt letter, told Mr Pauls he had made the decision to end his appointment as a worker representative member on the WHS board and consequently would lose his spot on two industry sector standing committees effective immediately.

A reason was not provided to Mr Pauls in the letter.

Mr Pauls said the decision by the LNP was “grandstanding against the CFMEU by a government that has union-bashing in its DNA”.

“I encourage Queenslanders to look at my record on the WHS Board and safety committees. I advocated for safer, fairer workplaces for all Queensland construction workers – not just union members,” he said.

“Workplace safety always gets worse under LNP governments. The last time the LNP was in power, workplace fatalities were at an all-time high.”

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie. Picture: Lachie Millard

Mr Pauls was appointed to the WHS board in September 2023.

Former Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace, during budget estimates in July, said Mr Pauls had been subject to all regular checks and balances by the department before his appointment.

“Prior to the appointment to the board the department undertakes a range of checks to determine suitability of any applicant,” she said at the time.

“This includes consideration of criminal history, bankruptcy, personal particulars … they do ASIC checks … they do a number of checks.

“He went through all the checks and balances and he has been appointed to the board representing that very dangerous area of the construction industry.”