Vic Labor Is a ‘Crime Syndicate’

Are there any ‘Quality Learing Centers’ in Melbourne? If Americans were staggered by the billion-dollar scale of Somali fraud in Minnesota, they’ve got nothing on Melbourne’s bikie gangs, who’ve stolen at least $15 billion of taxpayer’s money.

Fifteen. Billion. Dollars.

At least.

And all with the active knowledge of the Labor government – up to and including Premier Jacinta Allan.

These are the conclusions of a bombshell 136-page report, Rotting from the Top, by corruption-busting barrister Geoffrey Watson, SC. The report has been made public for the first time through a Queensland inquiry into the disgraced CFMEU building union. The report damningly lays bare the staggering scale of corruption and criminality in a state ruled by Labor for all but three of the last 25 years.

Corrupt union officials transformed the CFMEU in Victoria into a “crime syndicate” selling Big Build jobs to bikies who treated work sites as drug distribution centres, an explosive report alleges.

The gangsterism in Victoria has been run as part of the Labor government’s signature ‘Big Build’ programme infrastructure, which has plunged the state into record debt, to the tune of hundreds of billions. Where there’s government money up for grabs, there’s inevitably corruption. But the sheer scale of the corruption and criminality in Victoria beggars belief.

As does the Premier’s – who, as infrastructure minister, oversaw the Big Build for years – yet claims that she knew nuzzink. Not to mention former Premier Dan Andrews’s good mate, Albo.

The premier on Wednesday refused to front the media to address the bombshell claims and what she knew, instead sending out Attorney-General Sonja Kilkenny who refused to give any answers […]

In revelations that will pile pressure on Premier Jacinta Allan and Prime Minister ­Anthony Albanese, the report questions why so little was done to stop the alleged rackets that included organised criminals obtaining workplace deals for up to $250,000 to get on to construction jobs.

Perhaps indicating just how worried the federal government are by the report, opposition industrial relations spokesman Tim Wilson tried to table the report in parliament – only to be blocked by Labor’s Tony Burke. Why are the government so determined to keep the report off the official parliamentary record?

The report outlines allegations that strippers performed for crews on night shifts, sexual favours were demanded by a corrupt labour hire owner, and bribes and extortion were seen as part of doing business in ­Victoria […]

The report takes aim at former union boss John Setka, who is accused of leading the CFMEU from being a militant union to a “crime syndicate”, exposing for the first time ­relationships he had with criminals, and property deals concealed from members […]

It also alleges another ex-union official, Joe Myles, had links to bikies and even details industry rumours that his wedding in Mexico was paid for by contractors.

Delegates – who represent the union on sites – were appointed despite being “dangerous criminals, killers, drug dealers, and violent bikies”.

Incredibly, like the set of steak knives, there’s more…

Mr Watson, appearing before the Queensland inquiry into the CFMEU, revealed parts of his report were removed following discussions with administrator Mark Irving, KC, who believed they needed to be further tested.

These included references to inaction by Labor governments and the estimate that the CFMEU’s demands and rorts cost taxpayers $15bn, which Mr Watson said he had “ample evidence” to substantiate and was probably a conservative estimate.

Elsewhere, Watson has stated that he suspects the true figure is closer to $30bn.
And all with utter impunity.

Incredibly, the “abuse of power” continued well after an administrator was appointed to clean up the union, with a health and safety representative on one site, Muhammed Sayan, later arrested for murder.

Other incredible assertions in the report include that:

A PROFESSIONAL hit was planned on [CFMEU administrator Mark Irving] after he took over the union;

[Underworld figure] Mick Gatto makes $5m a year as a construction industry enforcer, which he denies;

THE union had a relationship with corrupt police; and

EX-CONS were paid $300,000 a year for roles they did not fulfil.

We already know that the Victorian Labor government is up for sale at bargain basement prices to its mates. Now we find that multi-billion dollar infrastructure jobs were also up for sale, not so cheaply, to criminals who used build sites as drug markets.

Corrupt organisers and delegates sold “Big Build jobs for an upfront cash payment”, and the report draws links between ex-union officials and serious criminals […]

“Gangsters knew that when dealing with the CFMEU they were protected by an Australian-style omertà,” the report said.

The premier is still trying to hide behind a code of silence.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has refused to front the media since explosive revelations that a federal appointee tasked with cleaning up the CFMEU directed the lead investigator to remove sections of a report detailing long-standing government inaction over corruption on Victoria’s Big Build sites.

The deleted findings concluded that the Victorian government had been aware for years of criminality and entrenched misconduct within the construction union but failed to act.

Finally, yesterday, at least one arrest was made.

A police taskforce has arrested a high-ranking Bandido bikie and former union official who previously wielded significant control on major Victorian government projects over allegations he extorted a building company.

On Thursday morning, detectives from Taskforce Hawk along with officers from anti-bikie taskforce Echo and the Viper organised squad swooped on high-profile bikie figure and former CFMEU representative Joel Leavitt.

Time will tell if this proves to be just a token effort by the strong-arm of Australia’s most corrupt state.