Ousted CFMEU leaders lose High Court challenge to take back union
Former CFMEU leaders have lost their High Court challenge against federal Labor's takeover of the scandal-plagued building union.
The High Court threw out the case on Wednesday in a unanimous decision that rejected former union officials' attempt to wrest back control from a government-appointed administrator who stepped in to clean up the union last year.
The government passed laws to oust most of the union's leadership after the Building Bad investigation by this masthead, The Australian Financial Review and 60 Minutes last year reported allegations of corruption and infiltration by bikie gangs.
The court's decision to uphold the government's forced take-over of the union will remove a roadblock for administrator Mark Irving, who had warned that the spectre of the CFMEU's former leaders returning to the organisation was hampering his efforts to reform it.
Irving welcomed the court's decision on Wednesday, saying in a statement the 'attack on the legitimacy of the administration' was dismissed by the court.
'The administration is committed to returning the union to the membership as a strong, democratic, member-controlled union, enduringly free of corruption and criminal influence as soon as possible,' he said.
Former Queensland CFMEU construction secretary Michael Ravbar, who has not been accused of wrongdoing, led the challenge and said members were disappointed, but they put up a good fight.
'What this result does show, however, is just how easy it is for hostile governments in cahoots with the ACTU to interfere in the operations and running of democratically run unions,' he said.
'It took little more than spurious allegations broadcast on a tabloid current affairs program. That should be of deep concern to any trade unionist.'
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