'Take them seriously': CFMEU administrator on Setka threats

Michael Crosby, the court-appointed administrator tasked with cleaning up the embattled CFMEU construction division, has issued a sobering warning regarding the legitimacy of threats made by former union boss John Setka. Speaking with the authority of a man currently navigating the most volatile industrial landscape in recent Australian history, Crosby insisted that intimidation tactics within the sector are far from hollow rhetoric and must be met with rigorous security and legal responses.

The administrator’s testimony also takes aim at the political establishment, specifically casting doubt on prior assertions made by former Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan regarding the government’s timeline of awareness concerning union misconduct. Crosby’s critique extended to the very mechanism of Australian judicial oversight, as he questioned the long-term utility of royal commissions, suggesting that these multi-million dollar inquiries frequently fail to achieve the structural overhaul necessary to dismantle entrenched cultures of coercion.

“The intersection of industrial muscle and political convenience has created a vacuum where genuine accountability is often sacrificed for the sake of short-term industrial peace.”

As the federal administration continues its efforts to purge the union of what it deems ‘toxic elements,’ the focus shifts to whether the current legislative framework can truly protect those attempting to reform the sector from the inside. Crosby’s remarks underscore a growing friction between the operational realities of industrial reform and the carefully curated narratives provided by state leadership, leaving the public to question the true cost of Victoria’s long-standing building alliances.