More witnesses to give evidence as hearing continues

Former Queensland minister Mark Bailey has been accused of directing his department and its contractors to negotiate with the CFMEU, under a policy that raised red flags with the former federal construction watchdog.

Giving evidence to Queensland’s CFMEU inquiry, the state’s civil construction industry chief also accused the government of running a sham consultation around the policy, which it was warned read “like a CFMEU document”.

Launched by the state last year after reporting by this masthead and 60 Minutes into criminality, corruption and misconduct in the CFMEU and construction industry nationwide, the inquiry resumed its public work yesterday.

The man charged with investigating the CFMEU by its government-appointed administrators, Geoffrey Watson SC – who appeared in the opening week of public hearings in November – is also scheduled to be called to the stand again this week.

Civil Contractors Federation Queensland CEO Damian Long, told the inquiry yesterday he had heard from public servants and contractors that the CFMEU was involved in departmental negotiations – repeating a second-hand claim from senior public servants that there was a “ministerial direction to negotiate” with the union instead of the Australian Workers’ Union.

He told the inquiry this direction came from then transport minister Mark Bailey via his department director-general, Neil Scales, and one of his deputies.

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