Barristers bicker as Mick Gatto and gangland figures discussed at CFMEU inquiry
A legal inquiry into the CFMEU union in Australia has seen heated exchanges between barrister Geoffrey Watson and legal representatives for firms linked to underworld figure Mick Gatto. Watson maintains his findings regarding corruption and gangland infiltration within the union's Victorian division.
Why it matters
The inquiry addresses serious allegations of organized crime influence within major labor unions, which has significant implications for Australian labor politics.
Link copied Share Share article A top silk who investigated the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) has refused to withdraw claims that a notorious Melbourne gangland figure controls a network of labour-hire companies, under tense cross-examination at a Queensland inquiry.
Lawyer Geoffrey Watson SC authored a bombshell report titled Rotting from the Top which laid bare allegations of a culture of violence, intimidation and bullying in the union's Queensland branch.
He also alleged widespread corruption and bikie infiltration in the Victorian division under ousted leader John Setka.
Mr Watson fronted the inquiry in Brisbane on Friday and faced combative questioning by Simon Wilson KC, acting for the M1 Trades Group, a Victorian labour-hire and traffic management firm linked to underworld identity Mick Gatto.
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