Labor cautious on John Setka as CFMMEU boss’s support base remains strong

The Labor Party will not move to boot union leader John Setka from the party while he is before the courts, despite pressure within the CFMMEU to remove him from his position.

Support for CFMMEU state secretary John Setka remain strong. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

The Labor Party will not move to boot union leader John Setka from the party while he is before the courts.

There is pressure within the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union to remove him from his position, but sources said his support base remained strong.

Mr Setka was charged with a court order offence and is due in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court next week after an alleged ugly Boxing Day row with his wife, lawyer Emma Walters.

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Emma Walters and John Setka on their wedding day.

The Herald Sun revealed yesterday that she would be charged on summons for speeding while almost six times over the blood-alcohol limit, with her two children in the car, just hours later.

The relationship between Mr Setka and Ms Walters is believed to have broken down recently.

Mr Setka, Victorian head of the CFMMEU, is understood to have taken ­personal leave from the union.

Labor’s deputy leader, Tanya Plibersek, said she couldn’t comment on Mr Setka’s case while it was before the courts, and “didn’t know the details of what has been ­alleged”.

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“Look, I’m not going to comment on individual issues that are the matter of police investigation and before the courts at the moment but I think it’s always important to say in a general sense that domestic violence, family violence should never be tolerated — it doesn’t matter who it’s from,” Ms Plibersek said.

“Any Australian public institution should be very clear that we never tolerate, we never tolerate violence or intimidation.”

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