Queensland government announces CFMEU commission of inquiry will investigate entire building industry
A bombshell report from barrister Geoffrey Watson SC released earlier this month laid bare a litany of disturbing alleged incidents involving the CFMEU's Queensland branch.
Some of the examples alleged union officials told people, "we know where you live" and "there is a bullet with your name on it", while another person was allegedly threatened at a funeral.
Shortly after the report was released, the state government announced a commission of inquiry would probe the allegations, with the Watson report noting he feared he had only scratched the surface of violent behaviour.
Administrator Mark Irving KC — in charge of the CFMEU since it was placed into administration last year — wrote to Premier David Crisafulli to discuss how to best work with the inquiry.
A CFMEU spokesperson said more could be done at an industry level.
"The administration believes it is time for employers and state and federal governments to focus on crime and corruption across the industry, rather than a narrow focus on the CFMEU," they said.
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said, following comments and allegations made by Nine newspapers, further action was needed.
"The government will expand the terms of reference in the royal commission to investigate the revelations today of criminal gangs infiltrating the building industry in Queensland and the CFMEU," he said.
"It's important that this royal commission has all the powers necessary and all the terms of reference as broad, as sufficiently broad as possible, to investigate not only the industrial disputation that we've seen over the last 10 years on construction sites, but also the underworld underbelly, criminal activity, criminal gang links."
Mr Bleijie said the terms of reference and a commissioner would be locked in next week, with the inquiry to start in August and run for around a year.
It will have the power to call people, including alleged underworld figures, union officials, interstate persons of interest, and developers.
Mr Bleijie said he'd written to the federal industrial relations minister for a meeting over concerns that existing enterprise agreements may have involved alleged coercion.
"We want workers to be well paid. We want them to go to work safe. But we also want a free and fair negotiation and bargaining with the unions and the construction industry," he said.
"I might add, most unions do this freely and fairly all the time.
"The CFMEU doesn't, and they put a gun to their head."
Opposition Leader Steven Miles, who noted Labor was supportive of the inquiry, said it should not be used to erode workers' rights.
"I'd be concerned if Jarrod Bleijie sees this as a mechanism to water down safety and wages on our state's construction sites," he said.
"Our construction workforce works very hard. We need more of them, not less, and that would be the result if Jarrod Bleijie got his way of reducing their wages and conditions."
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