Authorities in Victoria have launched an investigation into allegations of corruption involving officials from the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) and a Victorian labour-hire company in connection with projects linked to the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane. The probe centers on claims that some Queensland CFMEU representatives accepted bribes to facilitate access for the labour-hire firm to contracts associated with the Games.

As part of a coordinated operation between the CFMEU Commission of Inquiry and Victorian law enforcement, several employees of the labour-hire company were detained yesterday. The investigation alleges that Queensland CFMEU officials aided the company in securing or negotiating enterprise bargaining agreements with Queensland-based businesses, with the ultimate aim of gaining work connected to the Olympic infrastructure and related developments.

The labour-hire provider under scrutiny is understood to be Top Up Labour Hire, which currently holds a valid Queensland licence extending until February 2027. Geoffrey Watson, author of the report titled “Rotting From The Top,” has previously asserted that Top Up Labour Hire maintains links to former CFMEU leader John Setka and John Perkovic.

In a statement released by the CFMEU Commission of Inquiry, it was asserted that Top Up Labour Hire offered corrupt inducements to several current Queensland CFMEU officials in an effort to sway the execution of their official responsibilities. Separately, law enforcement officers conducted a raid at the CFMEU’s headquarters in Brisbane as part of the ongoing investigations.

Neither the CFMEU nor representatives of Top Up Labour Hire have provided detailed public comments on the specific allegations. The inquiry remains active as authorities continue to examine the extent of the alleged corruption and its impact on procurement processes linked to the Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.