Monday, 13 October 2025

“Minister Rishworth’s claims that the appointment of an Administrator is the toughest possible measure is collapsing under evidence that a CFMEU cartel still operates connecting Victorian head, Zach Smith, and John Setka and Mick Gatto,” said Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations and Employment, and Shadow Minister for Small Business, Tim Wilson. 

Mr Wilson’s comments follow revelations in the past week that Mr Smith was exposed facilitating meetings with Mick Gatto in public parks, and directly meeting with John Setka.

Mr Wilson has written to Minister Rishworth following revelations that Victorian CFMEU head and ALP National Executive member Zach Smith held a meeting with disgraced former boss John Setka which Fair Work officials said to Senate Estimates last week would raise “grave concerns.”

“Last week, the Fair Work Commission told Senate Estimates of ‘grave concerns’ if Zach Smith met John Setka, and we know he did and facilitated meetings with Mick Gatto too and the CFMEU Administrator watched on,” Mr Wilson said.

“Now it has been confirmed Smith and Setka met—and worse, the CFMEU Administrator, Mark Irving KC, was seemingly aware collapsing confidence that Administration is effective at stopping corruption.

“The Administrator has dropped the ball, so now it’s in Minister Rishworth’s court - she acts or she’s confirming she’s comfortable with the Gatto-Smith-Setka cartel.”

Mr Wilson said a weak response from the Minister would only further undermine public trust.

“This is a significant lack of judgement from the Administrator. Mr Irving was appointed to clean up the CFMEU after its infiltration by bikies, organised crime and underworld figures. Yellow cards don’t cut it.

“Each time we learn more it only raises more questions - Is this the only meeting between Smith and Setka? Why did he approve the meeting and make the Fair Work Commission aware? Have there been any other meetings, approved or not? When was the last time Gatto, Smith and Setka met? Amanda Rishworth says she has full faith in the Administrator because it’s the strongest possible response - but Mick Gatto and John Setka’s behaviour suggests otherwise.

“The cartel relationship between the CFMEU, bikie gangs and organised crime drives up costs, reduces value, inflates debt and taxes, and fuels inflation. Every day this corruption is tolerated, Australians lose.

“If the Administrator won’t clean up the union, the Minister has to clean him up. And if the Minister won’t act, the Prime Minister has to clean up his Minister.”

ENDS