Friday, 3 October 2025

“Trust in Amanda Rishworth’s stop work strike and go slow solutions to CFMEU corruption has collapsed after new revelations between the Albanese government’s handpicked CFMEU head in Victoria and organised crime,” said Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations and Employment, Tim Wilson.

Mr Wilson’s comments follow exposure by Nine’s Investigative reporter, Nick McKenzie, of cartel facilitation between the CFMEU and organised crime figures. According to reports the Albanese government’s handpicked head of the Victorian and Tasmanian branch, Zach Smith, facilitated CFMEU officials to meet with underworld figures in a public park.

“When Anthony Albanese’s anointed golden boy is caught facilitating meetings with underworld figures, trust in their process to clean up CFMEU corruption collapses,” Mr Wilson said.

“The scale of CFMEU cartel kickbacks, corruption and violence is extensive, and the costs are passed on through rising prices to Australians. These reports are consistent with media reports exposing cartel kickbacks, corruption and violence in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth, and through the Wood Inquiry in Queensland.

“Minister Rishworth has been on a stop work strike on cartel kickbacks. This has become a go slow strike on CFMEU corruption by hiding behind an Administrator, not taking action to stop it.

“We know Minister Rishworth won’t end her stop work strike on corruption in Canberra because it is where all the value steps in the supply chain are realised from cartel kickbacks that start in capital cities.

“Minister Rishworth keeps repeating CFMEU talking points that an Administrator is the toughest course of action. Appointing an Administrator to crackdown on CFMEU corruption has proven to be the go slow strike solution on corruption.

“When corruption is endemic in a union then appointing an Administrator is like changing the logo on the letterhead of a sternly worded letter to a union official warning them not to facilitate meetings with underworld figures, and that’s been exposed today.

“The toughest course of action on cartel kickbacks, corruption, violence and organised crime is to hold national inquiries that expose where it occurs, resource the Federal

Police and task forces to expose it, consider new and necessary laws and pursue prosecutions.

“The Minister is not new, so spare us that excuse, end the stop work, and replace the go slow solutions on cartel kickbacks, corruption and violence,” Mr Wilson said.

ENDS