Ex-CFMEU boss Michael Ravbar slams ‘witch hunt’

The former Queensland CFMEU secretary has attacked the administrator charged with cleaning up the union.

Former CFMEU boss Michael Ravbar says new probe fails the pub test. Picture: Liam Kidston

Former Queensland CFMEU secretary Michael Ravbar has accused the government-appointed union administrator Mark Irving of waging a “witch hunt” against ex-officials and failing to find evidence of criminality and corruption in the union.

Mr Irving, KC, announced this week a new inquiry into violence, threats of violence and menacing conduct across the Queensland construction industry, targeting alleged conduct by former union officials and employees as well as employers.

Mr Irving said current and former employees of the union would be required to co-operate in “exposing the culture of violence”.

Mr Ravbar said the new probe was a “stunt that didn’t pass the pub test”. He said Mr Irving’s hand-picked Queensland administrator, Travis O’Brien, who recently resigned to return to the bar, had found no criminal conduct by unionists.

He said Mr Irving could not come to terms with the “inconvenient truth” that corruption and criminality in the construction industry in Queensland could not be found in the union.

“The administrator should call off the witch hunt and reinstate union officers so they can do their job,” he said.

“The administrator’s role has weakened unions, slowing down negotiation of EBAs, compromising safety and obstructing the protection of workers’ rights.

“It is also inordinately expensive and a massive waste of workers’ union fees in pursuit of political objectives. At some stage, that is what needs to be investigated.”

In response to the claims, a spokesperson for Mr Irving said on Friday the work of the administration would continue in Queensland as he had made clear this week by announcing the probe.

Mr O’Brien, who did not return calls requesting comment on Friday, was quoted in November saying he had found no evidence or links between the CFMEU and ­bikies in Queensland as branch administrator.

“Bikies are involved in construction in Queensland, but that’s not through the union,” he told the Courier-Mail. “The state government, if they’re serious about this, then they need to start looking a little bit closer to home.”

Mr Ravbar said the new probe “further politicises and undermines” the administrator’s charter, “ignoring months of investi­gations by his own Queensland-appointed officer that found no criminal conduct in the union and instead pointed to bikie involvement with employers and government”.

“This process started with a predetermined, political outcome of attacking the CFMEU,” he said.

“This just proves what we have been saying all along – it’s a witch hunt. They’re not interested in the truth and are hell bent on demonising the good work of unionists at any cost.”

Announcing the probe this week, Mr Irving criticised Mr Ravbar, without naming him. “Under the past leadership, the union weakened its industrial position and made itself a target by allowing itself to be drawn into, perpetuating and failing to confront a culture of violence and being caught up in a cycle of retaliation against employers, other unions, and those who stood up to the former leadership,” he said.

The government, Mr Irving and the former CFMEU leadership are awaiting the outcome of a High Court challenge against the federal laws allowing the takeover of the union. A decision is expected in weeks.