Militant CFMEU granted special site access in deal with police, inquiry hears

An “unusual” agreement between Queensland Police and the state’s workplace regulator gave militant CFMEU officials special access to construction sites, an inquiry has heard.

An inquiry has heard the CFMEU was given special entry allowances to work sites. Picture: David Clark

• Editor: Only the latest outrage

Militant CFMEU officials were granted special access to construction sites under an “unusual” deal between Queensland Police and the state’s workplace regulator, an inquiry has heard.

Australian Workers’ Union state secretary Stacey Schinnerl said this memorandum of understanding between police and Office of Industrial Relations — signed in 2022 — seemed designed to grant CFMEU officials who didn’t have a federal permit access to sites they couldn’t.

“I certainly do not know why this union in particular is called out with their own special treatment. It is very unusual to me,” she said.

THIS IS ONLY THE LATEST EVIDENCE THIS INQUIRY WAS LONG OVERDUE. READ TODAY’S EDITORIAL AND JOIN THE DISCUSSION

Ms Schinnerl, taking the stand in the CFMEU inquiry for the second day, also accused the Labor government led by then Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk of allowing the CFMEU to amass power by turning the militant union’s pay agreement template into the government’s procurement policy.

She said the controversial “Best Practice Industry Conditions” policy was used by the militant union to recruit members across the state’s largest public construction projects.

First introduced in 2018, the now-scrapped BPICs detailed workforce terms and conditions on all state projects worth more than $100m.

AWU Qld Branch Secretary Stacey Schinnerl. Picture: Annette Dew

The AWU initially refused to participate in aspects of the policy’s development because of concerns it potentially breached the federal building code.

Ms Schinnerl said she had warned then-Labor ministers Mick de Brenni and Mark Bailey that BPICs risked breaching the Fair Work Act.

She also warned Mr Bailey that the Transport and Main Roads version of BPIC would leave his own workforce earning less than private-sector workers on identical jobs — an “unfair contrast” that would inflame future bargaining.

Ms Schinnerl said she repeatedly raised concerns about the CFMEU’s heavy involvement in designing and drafting the policy, saying the union was “very much driving the government agenda across multiple departments”.

Then in 2022 a version of a memorandum-of-understanding between Queensland Police and the Office of Industrial Relations provided CFMEU officials special access to government worksites — which had become flashpoints for violence and threats between the rivals unions.

Ms Schinnerl said under that deal a senior public servant in the OIR — with deep ties to the CFMEU — would be notified of a workplace dispute by police if they had been called to attend.

The Inquiry heard that in 2022, police would contact long-time public servant Marc Dennett and senior OIR officer Helen Burgess.

Ms Schinnerl said Ms Burgess had a “close personal relationship” with then-CFMEU president Royce Kupsch.

Ms Burgess was later accused of being too close to the CFMEU and her relationship with the militant union was investigated by the Crime and Corruption Commission the inquiry heard.

“I believe there was an investigation regarding the use of her personal phone to have matters reported to her,” Ms Schinnerl told the Inquiry.

Top CFMEU officials Jade Ingham, Royce Kupsch and Michael Ravbar. Picture: Facebook

But AWU members rarely made formal complaints to police about intimidation or harassment due to an “unwritten code” within the construction industry.

Ms Schinnerl told the Inquiry she regretted not making formal complaints to police.

“I can’t adequately convey to you how significant a move it would be for one union to pick up the phone and make a formal complaint against another union,” she said.

“That would be seen as the absolute antithesis of solidarity.

“When we did speak to police, quite often it was said to us that unless you’re willing to produce evidence, name people, identify people, stand up in court, there’s little point carrying through with a formal complaint.”

Ms Schinnerl became emotional as she reflected on how this reluctance may have emboldened escalating behaviour.

“Perhaps if I followed through with some of those complaints more formally, then I could have stopped some more of the serious stuff,” she said.

She later contacted a member of the police union to arrange an informal Microsoft Teams meeting with Deputy Commissioner Mark Wheeler to seek advice after receiving a threat to her life.

“He made it clear to me that, in his experience, people who make those sorts of threats are generally full of hot air,” she said.

The Inquiry heard QPS is considering making an application to cross examine evidence given about police conduct.

The service in the meantime, has declined to comment.

“The QPS acknowledges that the Commission of Inquiry into the CFMEU is ongoing and as such, comment would not be appropriate,” a spokesman said.

The Inquiry resumes in 2026.

Originally published as Militant CFMEU granted special site access in deal with police, inquiry hears