In a partisan attack, the QLD Liberal Nationals have funded a report into so-called corruption in the Victorian CFMEU. This report has claimed that the union funnelled $15 billion to organised crime, however this relies on the assumption that every worker is a criminal

Did the CFMEU steal $15 billion for organised crime? No.

The Socialist Bulletin Staff - 22/2/2026

Photo: By Combustion2016 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

IN the latest attempt by the Liberal Party to attack the union movement, a Queensland Liberal National inquiry into the Victorian CFMEU has alleged that the Union stole over $15 billion from the taxpayer, and fed all of that figure into organised crime.

The inquiry was chaired by Geoffrey Wilson, who, following his report titled Rotting from the Top used his unfounded claims to attack the Victorian Labor Party in the lead up to an election that could see a Liberal-National-One Nation government elected.

This $15 billion figure is based on next to nothing, being an estimate based on an increase of costs under CFMEU agreements, when compared to AWU agreements. These estimates were received from unnamed bureaucrats in the construction industry, ignoring any ulterior motives that they may have to attack the union.

This increase of costs does not take into account inflation, which has been a significant factor in the 20 years 'examined' in the partisan Wilson report.

If taken at face value, this claim also makes the absurd assumption that every single unionised worker that has worked in the construction industry in Victoria since 2005 is involved with organised crime. The $15 billion number notably includes pay increases for regular workers. This shows the utter contempt that the Liberal Party has for workers - their report assumes that they are all automatically criminals.

Defend the Unions, a major anti-Administration organisation made up of rank and file CFMEU members has condemned the partisan Wilson report, asking if Wilson is 'purposely conflating [workers'] wages with corruption for political reasons'.

Shockingly, the Victorian Labor Party has actually moved to stand up for CFMEU workers in the wake of the partisan report, which is a first in recent history. Victorian Labor MPs have repeatedly rubbished the clearly false $15 billion number since the publishing of the report. This is extremely commendable, however does come at the same time as anti-worker actions by that government in other sectors.

The Socialist Bulletin acknowledges that we write on stolen, unceded Indigenous land. We pay our respects to First Nations elders, past, present, and emerging.