More witnesses offer evidence during probe into worksite misconduct
Anti-corruption lawyer Geoffrey Watson’s investigation into the Victoria branch was the focus of hearings on Wednesday.
Watson was angered by an order by CFMEU executive Mark Irving to remove politically sensitive material from a report into corruption at the union’s Victorian branch.
The investigation showed how the original version of Watson’s report had been altered; Sections relating to government inaction were removed, with CFMEU estimates costing Victorian taxpayers at least $15 billion hours after the corrections were made. first reported by this masthead.
Watson’s Victorian report summarizes “Eight factors that ruined the CFMEU”These include the union’s disregard for the law and takeover of civilian construction sites, the rapid increase in money as part of the state’s “Big Construction”, increased fear of contractors, and government inaction.
Deputy counsel Mark Costello KC said there was a risk of similar problems emerging in Queensland if the right lessons were not learned.
Costello asked Watson why Irving wanted these changes, and Watson recalled the phone call in which Irving told him that three key elements of the report needed to be cut.
