Unions positioning for revenge on commission

The construction union is pressing Labor to support a judicial inquiry into the trade union royal commission.

The CFMEU wants a judicial inquiry into the trade union royal commission. Picture: AAP

The construction union is pressing Labor to support a judicial inquiry into the trade union royal commission, including the conduct of state and federal police, and consider laws to allow parliamentary oversight of the terms of reference of future royal commissions.

The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union said the judicial inquiry should also investigate the controversial raids on the Australian Workers Union, and examine the conduct of the Registered Organisations Commission.

Dave Noonan, national secretary of the CFMEU’s construction division, told The Australian the conduct of the trade union royal commission and the commission’s taskforce resulted in the unjustified attempted prosecution of a number of union officials.

CFMEU officials John Setka and Shaun Reardon recently launched legal action accusing Boral executives Paul Dalton and Peter Head of false imprisonment and malicious prosecution over the failed prosecution of the two union officials for blackmail.

Mr Setka and Mr Reardon were charged with blackmail after Boral boss Mike Kane “respectfully” suggested the trade union royal commission, headed by Dyson Heydon, be referred to police.

Prosecutors dropped the blackmail charge in May.

Mr Noonan said a Labor government should support an ­inquiry by a judicial officer into the commission: “We believe there should be an inquiry into the conduct of the Heydon royal commission. There was selective leaking from the Heydon royal commission and it is clear a number of cases were started by the state and federal police and the trade union royal commission taskforce that were absolutely hopeless cases.”

Mr Noonan said the inquiry should also investigate the police raids of the AWU offices by the Registered Organisations Commission. A staffer to former ­employment minister Michaelia Cash resigned last year after admitting to tipping off media about the AFP raids on the Melbourne and Sydney offices of the AWU.