Inquiry Hears Union Covered More Than $156,000 in Officials' Fines

An inquiry into misconduct in the CFMEU and the construction industry heard that the union's Queensland branch paid more than $156,000 in fines levied against officials and members who breached the Fair Work Act. Counsel assisting the inquiry, Andrew Meagher KC, told a Brisbane hearing on Tuesday that donations intended to relieve financial distress were instead used to cover personal payment orders.

He said the practice meant some individuals faced no financial penalty despite court orders.

Meagher cited one case in which a former official received a $30,000 fine in 2022 for using coercive threats to influence a contractor's appointment of a health and safety representative. The union paid the full amount even though a court had limited its contribution to 50 percent.

Meagher said the official suffered no financial loss, which defeated the purpose of the order. He described the overall practice as morally repugnant and said investigations into its full extent are continuing.

Meagher also outlined how the state and federal branches of the CFMEU treated funds held by the Queensland branch as available for expenses across both entities. Documents from 2013 to 2015 showed shared accounting and a reversal of reported income and expenditures between the branches.

Financial records from 2025 referred to a long-standing defence fund established to counter industrial laws from a previous federal government. Both the state and federal branches at different times claimed the $7.95 million pool. The inquiry, established last year with an 18-month extension, is scheduled to hear from international criminology experts and an accounting specialist on Wednesday.