‘Nobody from the Labor party has contacted me’ about $15bn CFMEU corruption claim, expert says

Integrity expert Geoffrey Watson SC has revealed that despite public criticism from the Victorian Labor government, no officials have contacted him to discuss his report alleging at least $15 billion in corruption within the construction union.

Watson’s report, titled "Rotting from the Top," was commissioned by a former administrator of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU). It was presented to a Queensland inquiry into the CFMEU in February. Appearing before the inquiry for the third time, Watson stated that neither the Victorian government nor former premier Jacinta Allan had reached out to him about his findings. He characterized their public statements, which described his report as "unfounded" and "florid ramblings," as " ."

“

Nobody from the Labor party has contacted me at all.

"Nobody from the Labor party has contacted me at all," Watson told the inquiry. "They made [statements] to the press without asking me anything about how I arrived at the report or what I did to achieve it. They were bitterly critical remarks. It’s hard to interpret them as anything less than suggesting I made it up."

“

They made [statements] to the press without asking me anything about how I arrived at the report or what I did to achieve it. They were bitterly critical remarks. It’s hard to interpret them as anything less than suggesting I made it up.

Watson also recounted the police minister's suggestion that he should have gone to the police if he had a problem. "Police minister, did you? Because if you had, you would have found out from your police force that I was going to them every week," Watson retorted.

The revelations come as Jacinta Allan recently stepped down as premier after losing the support of the Labor caucus, partly due to her handling of the corruption scandal. Her successor, Ben Carroll, has committed to a royal commission into the construction industry as his first act.

“

Police minister, did you? Because if you had, you would have found out from your police force that I was going to them every week.

Much of the hearing focused on Watson's allegation that Melbourne underworld figure Mick Gatto controls M Group companies. Watson claims these companies received preferential treatment from the CFMEU on Victorian government Big Build projects. He previously alleged that company directors Michael Portia and Tony Paragalli were "dummy directors" acting on Gatto's behalf, though Gatto, Portia, and Paragalli have denied this. Watson clarified on Friday that while he "probably shouldn’t have said Mick Gatto owned them [the companies]," and acknowledged that Paragalli and Portia likely own parts of it, he stood by his central assertion that Gatto "controls" the companies. "More than ever, it is my view that all the evidence points to Mick Gatto controlling the M Group companies," Watson stated.

“

More than ever, it is my view that all the evidence points to Mick Gatto controlling the M Group companies.