CFMMEU boss John Setka faces calls within labour movement to stand down
Rogue union boss John Setka is refusing to stand down even as another text tirade has been uncovered and the Labor Party tries to blast out the militant leader over alleged comments about domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty.
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Another text tirade by rogue union boss John Setka has been uncovered as the Labor Party tries to blast out the militant leader who is defying calls to quit.
The construction union chief has confirmed he will plead guilty to using a carriage service to harass a woman, with police alleging he abused a woman in a stream of 45 text messages sent on one night last October.
One message says: “After what I did for you today you treat me like some … moron you sneaky c---, that’s why all of your memories are going to the tip tomorrow morning, you just triggered a hatred in my heart I didn’t think existed f---en dog.”
But the defiant CFMMEU secretary — backed by a group of militant unions — said on Wednesday he would only answer to his members and saw no reason to stand down amid a storm over comments he made about Rosie Batty.
Flanked by his wife Emma Walters, Mr Setka also said comments attributed to him saying that Rosie Batty’s domestic violence advocacy had eroded men’s rights were an “outrageous lie”, peddled by someone seeking “political gain”.
Figures from within the labour movement have been privately imploring Mr Setka to stand down after he had signalled his intention to plead guilty to a charge of harassing a woman.
Federal leader Anthony Albanese started proceedings yesterday to have him expelled from the Labor Party over the alleged Rosie Batty comments, while Premier Daniel Andrews will have him removed from a government board.
The United Voice union, which represents over 120,000 members, also said today if allegations against Mr Setka were true, he must stand down.
In a statement signed by its national executives, it said it had serious concerns with Mr Setka’s reported comments that Rosie Batty’s domestic violence advocacy had eroded men’s rights.
“We wish to state clearly that they do not reflect the values of the trade union movement.”
“United Voice sends a clear message to our members that we stand in solidarity with women who have been victims of violence and abuse, and we commit to advancing the values of respect towards women within our union and our movement.”
“Behaviours that demonstrate disrespect towards or discrimination against women — have no place in our movement or in our society,’’ the statement said.
“We applaud the work of Rosie Batty and congratulate her on her recognition as an Officer of the Order of Australia.”
But Mr Setka said he saw no reason to quit as branch secretary of the CFMMEU even if he pleads guilty to the serious criminal charges.
“I’m elected by CFMMEU construction members they are the people I’m beholden to and they are the ones that pay my wages and I answer to them,” he said.
“I don’t answer to anyone else but them.
“When the election comes if they for whatever reason see fit not to have me as their secretary than they won’t vote for me.”
He denied he said anything to “denigrate” Ms Batty at a meeting of the CFMMEU national executive last week, but said if he was to be expelled from the Labor Party “for false allegations and things that I never said, well so be it”.
But he said he did relay to the meeting what he had been told about changes to laws after the Family Violence Royal Commission.
“It was going into what lawyers had told me about some of the laws, it was nothing about Rosie Batty changing the laws, it was nothing denigrating at all,” he said at a press conference today.
Mr Setka said the comments were leaked and misconstrued because there was an agenda by some within the trade union movement to remove him as branch secretary so they could get control of his powerful union.
“There are some people in the trade union movement we call ALP hacks, that is all they are interested in, and there are people interested in representing union members,” he said.
“We are interested in representing members because they pay our wages.
“There are some people that don’t like that and some people would love to get control of our union.”
Ms Walters, who held her husband’s arm throughout the press conference, said their family had been to “hell and back” over the past few years.
“We have both said and done thing that we are not proud of,” she said. “But his is not an opportunity to get John Setka.
“We have been in a very dark, dark place, I have been in a very dark, dark place. It has been very hard to watch the get John Setka campaign.”
She denied her husband had a problem with women and had tried to increase involvement of women in the construction industry.
Ms Walters said fighting blackmail charges issued against Mr Setka had taken its toll on their family.
Mr Setka and his deputy Shaun Reardon were charged with blackmail after they threatened industrial action against concrete company Boral. The charges were withdrawn last year.
It is understood that Mr Setka and Mr Reardon have since fallen out.
Labor allies of Mr Setka are urging him to quit his post as the state’s construction union boss after Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese moved to kick him out of the party.
That also prompted Premier Daniel Andrews to dump Mr Setka from a state government job.
Mr Andrews today refused to say if Mr Setka should remain the union’s state secretary.
“That’s entirely a matter for him. He’s duly elected by his members and it’s a matter of whether he retains the confidence of those members,” he said.
Mr Andrews said Mr Setka’s refusal to apologise over the Rosie Batty furore meant “there is no place for him in the Australian Labor Party”.
He said the union and the party were both “bigger than one person”.
Electrical Trades Union state secretary Troy Gray, who is standing by Mr Setka, hit out at Anthony Albanese and urged him to withdraw the “disparaging remarks” he made yesterday. “Today we’ve learned they were based off of a complete fabrication and Albanese needs to withdraw.” he said.
“Mr. Albanese should know better than to be led down the garden path by the enemies of John Setka seeking to spread rumours and lies about him for their own political gain.”
The Herald Sun understands Mr Setka is being encouraged to walk away from his job with the militant union, with a senior Labor source saying “the writing is on the wall”.
SETKA’S POSITION ‘UNTENABLE’: LABOR
Labor figures believe his position with the CFMMEU is now “untenable” but one source said that, while Mr Albanese’s actions had unified the party, Mr Setka was “the type of guy that will need to be blasted out”.
Mr Albanese asked the party’s national executive to suspend Mr Setka’s membership.
He said: “John Setka does not belong in our party because of the views that he holds.
“Rosie Batty is a great campaigner against family violence and the idea that she should be denigrated by someone like John Setka is completely unacceptable to me … and I don’t want him in our party.”
Appearing on The Project on Tuesday night, Ms Batty said she was concerned about Mr Setka’s reported comments.
“The statement about ... men’s rights has been reduced. I wonder what he means by that,” she said.
“If it means the right to harm to threaten, to intimidate, to bully and use violence then yes that’s fair enough.
“I’m quite incredulous really that my name has been utilised in this way because I’ve never met the man, I’ve never heard his name and I didn’t know who he was until this came about.”
WHAT SETKA SAID IN TODAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE
On his role in the construction union and expulsion from the Labor Party: “I’ve been a member of the CFMMEU for over 35 years and have proudly led the union for the past six years.
“And as long as I am elected leader, one thing won’t change - I’ll always put our members first.
“There’s no reason for me to resign. I’m staying as the secretary.
“I represent CFMMEU members, right? They employ me.
“They’re my bosses. I’m elected to represent them.
“If people want to expel me out of the Labor Party over false accusations and over things that I’ve never said, well, then, so be it.
“I don’t answer to the ALP.”
On anti-family violence campaigner Rosie Batty: “About comments made at the national executive meeting, what was reported in relationship to Rosie Batty, is completely false.
“I have always been a huge supporter of Rosie Batty and admired her tireless work she has done and what she has achieved.
“Everyone at that meeting knows that what has been reported is not what I said and the member who leaked these false allegations, for nothing more than political gain, should be the one who hangs their head in shame.
“I completely agree with Mr Albanese — any comments denigrating Rosie Batty are completely unacceptable.”
On the effect of the controversy on his marriage: “Over the past few years, we’ve been to hell and back, with relentless attacks on us personally for what is nothing more than some people seeking their own political gain.
“The result of this was our relationship hit rock bottom.”
In 2017, Mr Setka told a rally that Australian Building Construction Commission (ABCC) inspectors “better be careful”, and encouraged union members to “expose them all”.
He added that the inspectors’ children would “be ashamed of who their parents are”.
Mr Albanese said Mr Setka undermined the trade union movement but denied that there was a broader problem with the CFMMEU, saying its average member was a construction worker concerned about occupational health and safety.
“Trade unions play an important role in our society,” he said.
“My concern here is that John Setka is someone who is, in my view, unacceptable to stay as a member of the Australian Labor Party.”
SETKA TO PLEAD GUILTY
It comes as Mr Setka will formally plead guilty this month to having used a carriage service to harass his female victim and admitted to another charge after cutting a deal with prosecutors that saw dozens of charges struck out.
The dossier against Mr Setka includes 32 pages of text messages, at least three statements from the woman and a witness statement from former deputy president of the Fair Work Commission Anne Gooley.
Police will allege on one night in October last year, Mr Setka phoned the woman at least 25 times and sent her 45 text messages, 20 of which were photos, taunting her and imposing himself on her personal belongings.
“(The woman’s) face (was) coloured over with what appeared to be permanent marker,” a police document said. “The accused also levelled offensive language at (the woman).”
Among the vile texts were: “Your dad would be so proud of you, you turned into a drunken moron … you weak f----n piece of s--t” and “You’re a c--t just like the rest of your family”.
The police witness statement also reveals how the terrified woman put a device under her door to prevent someone being able to enter, even if they had a key, but Mr Setka broke the door down.
Allegations made to police also included Mr Setka throwing an iPad at the woman’s face and pushing her down the stairs.
MORE: WARNING OF SHORTAGE BEFORE POWER OUTAGES
WILL CHARGES BE LAID OVER RED SHIRTS PROBE?
The CFMMEU’s Victorian construction division has an executive meeting next week and Mr Setka’s position would be on top of the agenda if the union heavyweight had not fallen on his sword by then.
Assistant secretary Shaun Reardon has fallen out with the union boss and made it clear internally he believes his position is untenable.
Losing Reardon is an important development as the assistant secretary stood firm with Mr Setka when the pair were charged with blackmail after threatening industrial action against concrete company Boral. The charges were withdrawn last year.
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