Senator The Hon Bridget McKenzie & The Hon Tim Wilson MP

11th September 2025

 

NEW EVIDENCE COMPELS KING, RISHWORTH CONFIRM NO PUBLIC MONEY IS FINANCING CARTEL KICKBACKS

Fresh evidence exposed by the Nine Press today that the Victorian government knowingly financed cartel kickbacks on Victorian Big Build projects compels Ministers King and Rishworth confirm no Federal money is financing organised crime.

Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Senator Bridget McKenzie said the Coalition had been seeking assurances from the Albanese Government for more than a year that Commonwealth taxpayers’ infrastructure funding had not been misappropriated to fund criminal activities associated with the CFMEU.

“For too long the Albanese Government has adopted the three blind monkeys approach to union corruption on infrastructure worksites - hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil,” Senator McKenzie said.

“In answer to my questions following damning revelations of CFMEU misconduct last year, Minister King said she had sought assurances from the State Government seeking instances to be ‘immediately’ reported to her department.”

“Similar assurances the Allan Labor Government would provide ‘timely updates’ to her department on ‘corrupting benefits’ were provided to me by the Minister in March this year, however on 25 March 2025 Minister Penny Wong told Parliament no information had been received from Victoria.”

Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations and Employment and Small Business, Tim Wilson, has demanded Minister’s King and Rishworth answer these basic questions “is Canberra financing cartel kickbacks on Victoria’s big build, what did they know, and what steps are you taking to confirm that public money isn’t being used to finance organised crime”?

“Yesterday we asked these questions when new evidence was revealed of cartel kickbacks on Big Build projects and we got crickets, today it’s revealed the Victorian government knew. It’s time for Ministers King and Rishworth to come clean,” Mr Wilson said.

“Leaked secret documents show the Victorian government knew taxpayers were financing organised crime on the Big Build and should be condemned, so can the Federal government rule it out - and if not, why not”?

“These are simple questions with simple answers, and Ministers should be able to confirm taxpayers aren’t financing cartel kickbacks to organised crime - and if they don’t know what are they doing to confirm it”?

“Australians are waking up that State and Federal Labor are running a cartel of kickbacks between unions, Labor, industry super and the corporates that supply them, and the taxpayer is picking up the bill through higher prices, higher taxes, more debt, and graft” Mr Wilson said.

Workplace relations Minister Amanda Rishworth and Infrastructure Minister Catherine King must urgently:

·           Confirm whether Federal funds are financing projects where cartel kickbacks are occurring.

·           ⁠Guarantee that no Commonwealth contribution is being siphoned off into corruption or criminal networks.

·           ⁠Explain how they are protecting veterans from exploitation in government-backed projects.

·           ⁠What steps they have taken to confirm taxpayers are not financing cartel kickbacks.

“The Albanese Government cannot shrug its shoulders while billions in Federal funding flows into projects dogged by corruption allegations.

Ministers Rishworth and King must show leadership and ensure taxpayers’ money is not financing cartel kickbacks.”  Mr Wilson said.