An independent administrator will take over control of the disgraced construction arm of the powerful CFMEU, after a series of damning reports and allegations emerged including that bikies and criminals had infiltrated the Victorian branch.
Opting not to deregister the CFMEU, Federal Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke on Wednesday said sending in an administrator to clean up the union was the “toughest” course of action the government could take.
Mr Burke confirmed he had written to the Australian Federal Police, asking them to investigate allegations of criminal ties.
Mr Burke said the Labor Party’s National Executive were set to meet on Thursday and were prepared to make some “strong decisions” about what further action the Party could take.
His announcement came after the NSW Labor government moved to cut ties with the construction arm of the union’s state branch after footage was published seemingly showing a top NSW CFMEU official receiving a bundle of cash as part of a “suspected kickback deal”.
NSW Premier Chris Minns and Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said in a statement there was “absolutely no tolerance for criminal or corrupt behaviour in the building industry”.
More to come.