The Editor: Is it true? It turns out that it all was

The militant CFMEU loved the phrase “Is it true? Or did you read it in The Courier-Mail”. Well it turns out the violence and thuggery we exposed was, writes The Editor.

The CFMEU’s favourite slogan. Picture: David Clark

It is a comically coincidental quirk of Brisbane’s inner-city landscape that the headquarters of the state branch of the militant construction union the CFMEU is within sight of The Courier-Mail’s main editorial office in Bowen Hills.

It is a peculiarity that the bullies have – at least since we started a few years ago exposing their ways – leaned into, by sledging us on regular rotation on their electronic billboard: “Is it true? Or did you read it in The Courier-Mail.”

Well guess what? It turns out it was all true – with the appalling behaviour that our reporters have nevertheless fearlessly covered over the past five years confirmed in this extraordinary review by Geoffrey Watson SC into violence in the Queensland construction industry.

This is not about us. But you will surely forgive a moment of self-reflection. This report is a reminder of the value of fearless journalism. Because our reporters – and they were usually women – were among the very few courageous enough to put their name to public criticism of a union now confirmed to be, as its administrator concedes, a “violent, cruel, misogynist” organisation that treated family members of its critics (including kids) as “fair game for abuse threats and intimidation”.

Well guess what? It turns out it was all true.

Queenslanders, sadly, were let down by the political “leaders” at the pointy end of the Palaszczuk Government – particularly since the 2020 election, after which a series of meek Labor Ministers either deliberately turned a blind eye to or defended the behaviour of the CFMEU (some while mocking our reporting). This will forever be a stain on that government and its leadership team, and it should be.

By them cowardly giving into – and then defending – ridiculous demands for pay and conditions, Queensland is the most expensive state to build stuff in, making house purchases and renovations far more expensive – and leading to choices about hospital and school builds having to be made on cost not need. They let us all down.

Their cowardice, of course, also emboldened the bullies, and so it fuelled the shocking confirmations revealed in the Watson Review.

As union administrator Mark Irving KC writes in his response : “Those (union leaders) responsible were so arrogant and believed themselves to be so untouchable that the evidence against them is overwhelming ... Any argument that these actions are in the realm of acceptable industrial tactics in response to employer action is wholly rejected ... The behaviour is deplorable, shameful and unworthy of those who serve the Union.”

The report found “the targeting of women was part of the perverted model embraced” by union leaders. But they say they are for women.

But this was not just a few bad apples. Mr Irving goes on: “Hostile, angry crowds of men calling people c**ts and dogs and sell outs is a breach of the CFMEU’s own definition of acceptable behaviour at a workplace. (It is) is deplorable, shameful and unworthy.”

There is also a question here as to why police have not done more to crack down on this behaviour. It was not a secret. As we say, it was regularly covered in the pages of The Courier-Mail.

Perhaps that is due, as Mr Irving notes, “to the fear of retribution by those targeted”. He deserves credit for vowing: “I do not need to wait for police complaints to act. I do not need to wait for criminal charges to be laid to act. Where there is clear and credible evidence of violent, cruel, or misogynist behaviour then I can deal with that behaviour now, rather than wait.”

A final point: Another sign that rotates on that electronic billboard outside the CFMEU headquarters is pink, and promotes “CFMEU WOMEN”. Considering that this report also exposes “sex specific harassment” and that “the targeting of women was part of the perverted model embraced” by union leaders it turns out that it was the billboard all along – and not the newspaper – that Queenslanders cannot trust.

Originally published as The Editor: Is it true? It turns out that it all was