More witnesses offer evidence during probe into worksite misconduct

Corruption-busting lawyer Geoffrey Watson’s probe into the Victorian branch was the focus of the hearings on Wednesday.

Watson was angry about CFMEU administrator Mark Irving’s direction to remove politically sensitive material from a report into corruption in the union’s Victorian branch.

The inquiry was shown how the original version of Watson’s report was changed – with removed sections on government inaction, and estimations the CFMEU cost Victorian taxpayers at least $15 billion – hours after the redactions were first reported by this masthead.

Watson’s Victorian report outlines “eight factors which wrecked the CFMEU”, including the union’s contempt for the law and takeover of civil construction sites, a rapid increase in money under the state’s “Big Build”, growing contractor fear, and government inaction.

Counsel assisting, Mark Costello KC, said there was a risk that similar problems could arise in Queensland if the right lessons were not learnt.

Costello questioned Watson about why Irving had asked for the changes, prompting Watson to recall the phone call in which Irving told him three key elements of the report needed to be cut.