The Hon Tim Wilson MP
Shadow Minister for Small Business
Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations and Employment
Member for Goldstein

Senator Maria Kovacic
Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition
Shadow Assistant Minister for Women
Shadow Assistant Minister for Child Protection and
the Prevention of Family Violence
Chair of the Senate Education and Employment References Committee
Senator for New South Wales

Wednesday, 11 February 2026

RISHWORTH MUST ANSWER FOR $15B INDUSTRIAL-SCALE CONSPIRACY TO HIDE CFMEU-LABOR CARTEL CORRUPTION, SACK HER ADMINISTRATOR FOR CLEANSING CORRUPTION REPORT

“Minister Rishworth must immediately answer to Parliament why Geoffrey Watson SC’s report into the systemic corruption in the Victorian Division of the CFMEU has been cleansed of two chapters covering the cartel it operates with the Labor Party”, said Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations and Employment, Tim Wilson.

Mr Wilson’s comments follow reports in The Age/SMH that Watson’s report provided to CFMEU Administrator, Mark Irving SC, has been secretly cleansed of two chapters that outline the cartel of corruption between the CFMEU and ALP. Mr Watson’s report was provided to the CFMEU Administrator on 1 December 2025.

“The report outlines the CFMEU-Labor cartel of corruption has cost Victorians $15 billion in washed money, and we know from AEC disclosures last week some of it has ended back in Labor’s coffers”, Mr Wilson said.

“Last year the Prime Minister and Minister for Workplace Relations shut down Parliament scrutinising the scale of the CFMEU-Labor cartel of corruption, and now we know why: the corruption is systemic, endemic and industrial”.

“The cost of the CFMEU-Labor cartel is picked up through higher costs to first home buyers and taxpayers, and the cartel operates with the washing of corrupt CFMEU cash and donated to the Labor Party. The conspiracy to cleanse this report exposes how much Labor is hiding”, Mr Wilson said.

“We have written to the Administrator, the Minister and submitted Freedom of Information requests for a copy of the CFMEU-Labor cartel corruption report. Now we know they’ve been buying time to shred the report from existence”.

“The Albanese government’s approach to CFMEU-Labor cartel corruption has been to get the problem out of the media, but keep the corrupt power structures in place so the cash and power can keep flowing to into the Labor Party”.

“The Prime Minister is also complicit – we know that the Prime Minister said Labor wouldn’t accept CFMEU donations but recent AEC disclosures show that Anthony Albanese has been cashing cheques of CFMEU cartel kickbacks”.

“Minister Rishworth is now completely exposed and has a choice: release the full unredacted report and sack her CFMEU Administrator, or become complicit in the cover up and the Prime Minister must sack her and answer questions himself”.

“Corruption watchdogs have documented the CFMEU-Labor cartel of corruption, and now reports of a cover up expose the Administrator, the Minister and the Prime Minister to serious questions about the cover up”, Mr Wilson said.

“Australians deserve answers, and the first step is to release a copy of the unredacted CFMEU-Labor cartel corruption report by the Minister. If the Minister won’t release the report, the Prime Minister must sack his Minister or be caught complicit in this corruption scandal”, Mr Wilson said.

Senator Maria Kovacic, Chair of the Senate Employment and Education Committee, said “this Labor government has turned a blind eye to bullying, intimidation and alleged criminal conduct of the CFMEU for years.

That failure has entrenched a culture of corruption, so today’s revelations come as no surprise.”

“At every turn, Labor and the Greens have teamed up to block our calls for a Senate inquiry into the CFMEU, running a protecting racket for union bosses instead of standing up for Australians.”

“This conduct drives up construction costs, pushes housing prices even higher, and makes it harder for families to buy a home, all while lining the pockets of a corrupt union elite.”

“It is time for Labor and the Greens to put political donations and union loyalties aside and put the Australian people first.”

“Now that the cover-up is clear, Minister Rishworth must act, or be overtly complicit in allowing this behaviour to continue.”

ENDS