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Ousted CFMEU leader Jade Ingham was personally responsible for violence and sexism in the union across Queensland, the inquiry into misconduct in the construction industry has been told.
The investigative rigour of anti-corruption expert Geoffrey Watson’s 2025 report into the CFMEU was tested by lawyers for former leaders Ingham and Michael Ravbar during cross-examination when hearings resumed in Brisbane on Thursday.
Ingham’s lawyer, Tony Kimmins, questioned if his client’s involvement in the report was limited to five specific incidents.
“No, that’s not right. What about the whole of it?” Watson said.
“If the whole of the union is violent and has a bad attitude toward women, bad attitude toward the [rival union] AWU … where does that responsibility rest?
“I had credible accounts of Ingham’s involvement.”
Watson became frustrated on several occasions when Kimmins questioned the thoroughness of the investigation.
Watson confirmed his work was based on 56 interviews, newspaper and nightly news reports, press releases and social media.
“I don’t have Facebook, but I went to Facebook and I got access to those parts of Facebook which you can get access to if you are not a member yourself,” Watson said.
“I was never willing to cross that awful line, become a member myself.
“When I was investigating, it became very apparent to me that I’d done enough. I’d heard the same story from a lot of people. And I thought, ‘Well, there’s only so far and so long I should do this.’”
He did concede a minor footnote, about a glass door smashed during a protest, was worded poorly.
Representing Ravbar, Ruth O’Gorman KC began cross-examination of Watson before midday.
The hearings were expected to run for the remainder of Thursday.
On Wednesday, former employees for Spanish infrastructure giants Ferrovial Agroman and Acciona alleged then-minister Grace Grace threatened to axe the contract for the $1.6 billion Toowoomba Bypass unless the companies made a deal with the CFMEU in 2018.
Former Acciona project director Jose Sanchez told the inquiry he believed the Queensland government’s actions were similar to what he would expect in a Third World country such as Nigeria.
Father and son Neile and Ryan Rosenlund, from contractor Rosenlund, testified on Tuesday.
They said they had been pressured to hire a “volatile” former boxer linked to the union and pay for scaffolding that wasn’t needed during demolition of Toombul Shopping Centre.
The inquiry has so far heard allegations of corruption, criminal infiltration, bullying and other malpractice by the CFMEU across Queensland.
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