'Maggots,' 'morons' and 'dogs': building union boss unloads on Labor

Construction union leader John Setka has savaged Labor and the candidacy of Wayne Swan as its national president, calling him a "maggot" and a "sell-out moron".

John Setka (centre) at a court hearing in 2016.Credit: Justin McManus

In an email to union leaders entitled "Stop supporting traitors and dogs", the CFMEU’s Victorian secretary also unloads on the party and former ACTU secretary and federal minister Greg Combet.

Sent to ACTU secretary Sally McManus and senior figures in his own union, the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union, at 5:23am on March 10, the email, leaked to The Age, contains Mr Setka's reaction to the news that Mr Swan would be Labor’s right-faction candidate for president.

"I think it would be an absolute disgrace to put forward this piece of shit as president of the ALP," he wrote.

"As the Federal Treasurer this maggot voted in caucus to keep the ABCC (Australian Building and Construction Commission) and the Fair Work Building Commission and other anti-worker legislation."

In government: Wayne Swan and Greg Combet with then Prime Minister Julia Gillard.Credit: Andrew Meares

Mr Setka made a similar stinging critique of Mr Combet’s time in parliament, noting he now sat on industry super boards "earning good money from the same workers he helped f--- over".

Mr Setka, whose own large union branch is affiliated to Labor, said it was time for the union movement to hold "some of these traitors to account for their past actions".

"Unless we punish some of these sell out morons and show everyone what happens when you betray workers, and there will be consequences, the next lot might think twice before they even try to sell us out."

In the email, Mr Setka said he would "love to hear any arguments to the contrary" to his position. Otherwise "we could sell out our members and keep supporting some of these traitors, that would be good governance!!"

Mr Setka’s email won endorsement from Maritime Union of Australia official Christy Cain who wrote that there was some in Labor who only understood "numbers and money" and "absolutely don’t give a f--- about workers".

Mr Setka finishes his email on a lighter note, saying "PS: I am not on a rant" and "sorry for telling the truth," while wishing his colleagues a good weekend.

Chuckling, Mr Swan said he could not comment on the email. Candidates for the Labor presidency are not allowed to publicly discuss their candidacy. Mr Combet and Ms McManus also declined to comment.

ACTU secretary Sally McManus this week.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Union sources said Mr Setka also recently delivered a blistering verbal attack on Labor at a meeting of the construction union’s shop stewards.

While his own union has been a heavy backer of the ALP, Mr Setka, who emerged out of the deregistered Builders Laborers Federation, has long had a difficult relationship with the party.

His missive comes amid a climate of ongoing factional upheaval in the Victorian Labor party.

His own union, from the left-wing of Labor, recently split from a group controlled by left factional chief Kim Carr. The unions joined forces with right wing factional chief Adem Somyurek to form a new grouping.

But that grouping has failed to gather the factional numbers it had hoped to, with key right wing unions such as the shop assistants and National Union of Workers failing to join.

The new grouping was eyeing off a new federal seat to be created in Melbourne’s north-west.
Mr Setka’s union is a strong backer of former Andrews government minister Jane Garrett, and keen to get her a seat.

Ms Garrett has said she will leave the state seat of Brunswick, but failed to win pre-selection for the state upper house to union official Ingrid Stitt.

She also recently said she would not contest the election to become the new Lord Mayor of Melbourne after earlier flagging that she was considering a run.

Ms Garrett is close to Setka’s wife, Emma Walters.