Premier Peter Malinauskas warns CFMEU boss John Setka against disrupting Adelaide Crows’ Thebarton Oval headquarters

The Premier has issued a blunt warning to the CFMEU boss after he took aim at the AFL’s major building projects.

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Premier Peter Malinauskas is warning militant construction unionist John Setka against any moves to disrupt the Adelaide Crows’ Thebarton Oval relocation, vowing any intervention would be “viciously and vociferously” opposed by the state government.

Issuing a blunt rejoinder to the CFMEU leader’s threats to cease co-operation on AFL projects unless its umpiring head was sacked, Mr Malinauskas said the state government backed the Crows’ $100m Thebarton Oval project and “no one should get in the way of it”.

Asked by The Advertiser for his message to Mr Setka on the issue, Mr Malinauskas said he understood the CFMEU chief had declared there was no suggestion of a threat to the Crows project, which has $15m in state backing.

“But even if that was an intention, we would viciously and vociferously oppose it. In respect of the Thebarton project, I think people well know my strong views about this – it just needs to get done,” he said.

CFMEU leader John Setka pictured in Adelaide. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Mr Setka has declared the construction union would not work with the AFL to address cost overruns or delays on projects until former building watchdog and current head of umpiring Stephen McBurney was dismissed.

Mr Malinauskas, who was the retail union state chief before entering parliament in 2015, questioned Mr Setka’s professionalism representing construction workers.

“ … In regards to John Setka more broadly, people who work on construction sites in South Australia have got dangerous jobs, they deserve to be well paid, in my view, and that means that they deserve professional representation,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“ And I don’t know if this type of commentary accords with professional representation that aligns with the interests of those people.

“Now, that’s a matter for CFMEU members to judge themselves. But I think my views about what thoughtful union leadership looks like are somewhat different to Mr Setka’s.”

Premier Peter Malinauskas has warned the union against disrupting the Adelaide Crows’ Thebarton project. Picture: Martin Ollman

Opposition treasury spokesman Matt Cowdrey is urging the state government to back Liberal legislation to appoint a South Australian Construction Industry Commissioner, saying this would boost defences against the CFMEU’s tactics of intimidation, threatening behaviour and forcefully disrupting worksites.

“Peter Malinauskas rolled out the red carpet for John Setka and the CFMEU and now they’re

threatening to derail a major SA project, which could trigger delays and blow the project out

by millions of dollars, over a personal grievance,” Mr Cowdrey said.

Mr Malinauskas in August, 2022, caved into pressure to insist a controversial $125,000 CFMEU donation to the state Labor Party would be returned, following the vandalising of Master Builders’ SA cars.

The incident came just two days after Mr Setka’s Victorian branch formally seized control of the SA outfit. He led fist-pumping members in a celebratory chant of “union power”.

Originally published as Premier Peter Malinauskas warns CFMEU boss John Setka against disrupting Adelaide Crows’ Thebarton Oval headquarters