The Hon Tim Wilson MP

Shadow Minister for Small Business
Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations and Employment
Member for Goldstein

Wednesday 11 February 2026

Transcript - Interview with Laura Jayes - Sky News AM Agenda

Topics: CFMEU-Labor cartel

E&OE

Laura Jayes: Joining me live now is Shadow Industrial Relations and Employment Minister Tim Wilson. Tim, this seems explosive. What questions does the Victorian Government and the Federal Government have to answer here.

 

Tim Wilson MP: Well, it is explosive. We have $15 billion of Victorian taxpayers' money that has been washed through the systems of the CFMEU. And a report, an independent report commissioned to look into the relationship of the CFMEU and Labor Cartel of Corruption is choosing to take out sections of that report because it is inconvenient to do so. There are simple questions. What did the ministers at a state and federal level know. And when? Were they responsible or did they ask for sections of this report to be redacted? And more importantly, when are we going to see a full copy released of this report, untainted by political interference?

 

Laura Jayes: Does it really undermine the procedure put in place? When an investigation like this is put into place, we expect those in positions of power to act in the best interests of taxpayers. What would you say about that happening or not happening here?

 

Tim Wilson MP: Well, what we've had is the Albanese Government's hand-picked head of the CFMEU involved in deleting sections of an independent report looking into the corrupt nature bet ween the CFMEU and the Labor Party. We know that $15 billion of cash has been washed through the system and that despite promises, the Prime Minister saying he wouldn't take tainted CFMEU donations, last week, the Australian Electoral Commission revealed that he had done so and had cashed their cheque. There's so many questions that need now to be asked of this government as well at a state level, as well as, of course, the ongoing tenure of the CFMEU administrator handpicked by Anthony Albanese because I don't see how he should sustain the public confidence, let alone the Minister's confidence, unless they want to be held accountable for his conduct as well.

 

Laura Jayes: But Tim, how did he get access in the first place to even be able to do this?

 

Tim Wilson MP: Well, this report was ultimately commissioned by the CFMEU to understand the scale of the corrupt relationship between the CFMEU and the Labor Party. An earlier report in Queensland found that when Labor came to office at a state level, CFMEU officials stood over public servants and intimidated them and basically said that they were working for the union now, not for the people of Queensland. The same sort of conduct we're now seeing in Victoria, except worse and involving substantial amount of public money. And the worst thing about all of this is, and there's a lot that's wrong with it, when we asked questions and tried to set up an inquiry to look into exactly these issues last year, the Prime Minister and Minister Rishworth ran interference and shut down Parliamentary inquiries and questions to stop us looking into exactly this type of conduct. They know how deep the corruption is. And now the question is, are we going to have pathways to actually get answers, because this goes to the heart of the corrupt nature between the CFMEU and the Labor Party.

 

Laura Jayes: Well, if they didn't know, Tim, they know now, so what do you want Minister Rishworth and the Prime Minister to do today in response to this report?

 

Tim Wilson MP: We want a full release of this report, the unredacted, unpolitically tainted version of the report. We want answers about what the Minister knew and when, what she directed the CFMEU administrator to do and when. Was she involved in the removal of the redaction of the report, but then what are the steps she's going to take to rebuild public confidence from here? And is she going to, is the CFMEU administrator, based on removal of sections of report into the corruption between the Labor Party and the CFMEU, is he going to resign or is the Minister going to sack him?

 

Laura Jayes: Okay, all good questions. We'll wait to see what the response is. Of course, you've got a few things going on in your own house at the moment. If Angus Taylor does resign and we see a number of resignations, which we fully expect this afternoon, what will you do in party room? Do you stick with the leader that you've or do you need to change tack?

 

Tim Wilson MP: Sorry, I'm not biting on this. There's only one person who should be resigning today and it is the head of the CFMEU based on the removal of sections of a report into the corrupt links between the CFMEU and the Labor Party. I know everybody wants to talk about political debate and internals. I want to talk specifically about these issues because our pathway for a political success as a movement, and that's ultimately what any discussion around leadership is about, is about how we focus, unite and not just put pressure on the Labor Party, but advocate the case for a better Australia and enliven it through policy and campaigns to achieve that. And you know, one of the central things to do that is to make sure that people who back themselves, the self-employed, small businesses, family businesses and sole traders feel that we're backing them in our policy and enliving it in our policies enough that they think they have hope for the future. And it doesn't matter who sits in the swivel chair. What matters is whether we're doing the hard work to get ahead. And that's where my focus is. We had record small business insolvencies last year, record. The highest number in Australian history. Those people are looking for hope and we have to provide it.

 

Laura Jayes: That'd be nice. Good luck with that, Tim. It hasn't been that way for many weeks, so hopefully we can see.

 

Tim Wilson MP: It has on Channel Tim.

 

Laura Jayes: Channel Tim. Really? Channel Tim? Oh, I like it.

ENDS