Premiers lambaste CFMEU, threaten legislation to force administrators

Premiers have sung a chorus of condemnation towards the embattled, allegedly corruption-riddled CFMEU as each moved to clamp down and remedy their prospective state unions.

State premiers have uniformly condemned the embattled CFMEU.

Premiers have joined in condemning the CFMEU over corruption claims as each moves to clamp down and urgently remedy state-registered unions.

In NSW on Wednesday, the Minns government moved to suspend the Construction Forestry and Maritime Employees Union’s affiliation with state Labor and install an external administrator after “appalling” allegations of corruption, and alleged footage, came to light.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said police would continue to probe criminality in that state’s branch, and the Queensland government said it would consider a change to state law to ensure the “unprecedented” CFMEU administration was “successful”.

The states’ interventions came as the ACTU suspended the CFMEU’s construction and general divisions, and Anthony Albanese threatened legislation to force administrators on to the union’s operations if required.

It follows footage released on Wednesday of CFMEU NSW secretary Darren Greenfield allegedly being passed a $5000 bundle of cash as part of a suspected kickback deal. He was charged in 2021 with a series of bribery offences, although he denies the alle­gations, which remain before the courts.

The CFMEU has so far stood by Mr Greenfield and resisted calls to suspend him, pending the case’s outcome.

On Wednesday, Premier Chris Minns said the CFMEU construction and general division’s state Labor affiliation would be suspended and an independent administrator would be forced on to the union’s NSW operations.

“The CFMEU construction division is either unable or unwilling to reform its leadership in the face of devastating allegations of a very serious nature,” he said of the alleged footage.

NSW Premier Chris Minns on Wednesday. Picture: John Appleyard

Queensland Premier Steven Miles. Picture: Liam Kidston

Mr Minns said the state Labor general secretary would immediately take steps to suspend its party affiliation, and stop any donations or fees from the CFMEU.

The Premier has also asked that the federal government review any enterprise bargaining agreements in NSW that the CFMEU was party to.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said the CFMEU that was registered under NSW legislation would be put into independent administration, threatening legislation to ensure it was.

“All (deregistration) achieves is to strip the union of its status, but (not) a change in leadership,” he said, saying he hoped administration would make it “corruption-­resilient” and an “ideal outcome” was one administrator overseeing the entirety of the CFMEU.

In Queensland, Premier Steven Miles said Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace was seeking urgent legal advice about whether action needed to be taken to give administrators extra powers. He said he supported the decision to appoint administrators to all CFMEU branches, including Queensland, despite a strong objection by state secretary Michael Ravbar.

“The allegations … raised about the CFMEU, especially in Victoria and NSW, are extremely serious, and we’ve seen today the Australian government take those allegations very seriously,” he said.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan. Picture: Ian Currie

Mr Miles said the appointment of an administrator in Queensland would allow the “concerns, complaints and grievances that have been aired to be properly considered and if appropriate, action can be taken by that administrator”.

He “encouraged” Mr Ravbar and his interstate counterparts to consent to the appointment of administrators, rather than fight it through the courts.

In Victoria, Ms Allan said it was up to Victoria Police to determine whether members of outlaw motor­cycle gangs were continuing to work on state government projects. “Police … hold the responsibilities to investigate any allegations of criminal behaviour, whether it’s a construction site or any other workplace,” she said.

Ms Allan said deputy CFMEU Victorian secretary Derek Christopher, anointed to take over from John Setka, “clearly” did not meet expectations for good leadership of the union. He is the subject of a Victoria Police investigation into claims of corruption, although he has not been charged. He denies the allegations.