Who’s Really in Charge?
A Campaign for Transparency and Accountability
When you cast your vote in the upcoming election, you’re not just choosing a party—you’re deciding who truly holds power over your future, your taxes, and your safety. With "Who’s Really in Charge," we’re asking you to look beyond the promises and ask the hard questions: Who’s pulling the strings behind the scenes? Who’s enabling the rackets that cost taxpayers millions? And who’s compromising the safety of workers while turning a blind eye to corruption?
Right now, powerful unions like the CFMEU—backed by thugs and criminals—are exerting unchecked influence over Victoria’s Big Build projects, including Victoria’s flagship Metro Tunnel. Ghost shifts, fake invoices, and inflated costs are haunting these initiatives[1], draining millions from taxpayers. Taxpayers are still funding projects involving gangland-linked companies[2], described as a “place of resort for bikies,” while union leaders aggressively pursue exorbitant pay and conditions deals with no regard to community standards.
And it doesn’t stop there. Public sector unions, like the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), are pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into political campaigns—donations that come straight from members’ dues, often without their consent. In 2022, the CPSU donated $627,219 to political parties, and in 2024, they paid $196,000 in affiliation fees to ALP state branches. This isn’t just a betrayal of union members who may support other parties—it’s a direct threat to the impartiality of our public service, a cornerstone of Australian democracy.
Union leaders are playing a dangerous game with your money and your trust. They decide how much to donate to political campaigns, leaving members in the dark while compromising the principles of fairness and transparency. Meanwhile, the same unions are tied to projects where costs are inflated by corruption, scams creep in, and workers’ safety is sold out. Who’s really in charge of these costs? Who’s letting these scams fester? And who’s enabling this racket to continue unchecked?
We believe it’s time for change. The Fair Work Act must be amended to ensure union members have the right to opt out of political donations. Public sector unions should be banned from making political contributions altogether, protecting the impartiality of our public service. And we need to bring back the ABCC.
Most importantly, we need leaders who will stand up to union corruption, hold them accountable, and put the interests of taxpayers and workers first.
This election, think carefully about who you’re really voting for. Are you choosing a government that serves you—or one that answers to union bosses with their own agendas?
Australia deserves a future that’s transparent, accountable, and free from the shadows of corruption.
Demand change: Share our ads, read our recommendations for change and sign our petition below.
See the Ads:
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Who's really running the show?
Labor governments in Victoria and the ACT have paid the CFMEU millions in recent years, despite serious allegations of corruption, violence, and organised crime within the union. Meanwhile, the CFMEU handed Labor $11 million from 2019 to 2024. Who’s really running the show? Source: The Age, March 18, 2025.
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Who's really in charge of construction costs?
Labor won’t back a federal audit to ensure taxpayer-funded projects aren’t being overcharged due to corrupt practices. Who’s really managing the budget on these initiatives? Source: The SMH, March 17, 2025
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Who's tangled up in this scandal?
A veteran union figure warns that the Labor-supported administration hasn’t stopped the deep-seated corruption in the construction industry. With corrupt influences still wrapping their tentacles around the sector, who’s really entangled in this mess? Source: The Age, March 18, 2025
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Who's enabling this bikie-run racket?
Taxpayer money is still flowing to projects tied to gangland-linked companies, with Victoria’s Big Build becoming a hotspot for bikie activity. Who’s allowing this racket to continue? Source: The Age, March 22, 2025
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Who's steering this chaos in Sydney?
Rail strikes under Labor have crippled Sydney’s late-night economy, with nightlife visitor numbers plummeting. Who’s steering this chaos? Source: The Daily Telegraph, March 19, 2025
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Who's let these scams creep in to Melbourne?
Victoria’s $15b Metro Tunnel project under Labor saw potentially millions of dollars charged to taxpayers for shifts that never happened through fake invoices. Who let these fraudulent schemes creep in? Source: The Age, March 7, 2025
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Who's sold out our safety at work?
On Victoria’s taxpayer-funded projects under Labor, women have endured violence and harassment from men with criminal pasts, with the CFMEU admitting it failed to protect them. Who’s going to ensure this doesn’t happen again?Source: The Age March 16, 2025
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Whose Rules do they follow?
In 2024, a CFMEU leader’s threat to block AFL projects sparked an ugly fight, risking major delays. Whose rules do they follow?Source: ABC News 7:30, June 19, 2024
Steps for Change:
Taking Back Control - Restoration of the ABCC
1: The ABCC should be urgently reinstated with the full powers and remit it enjoyed directly prior to its most recent abolition, including:
Reinstatement of the ABCC, with the resourcing and specialist staffing necessary to ensure the rule of law in building and construction.
Restoration of the Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Act.
Reimposition of the Building Code, and the code compliance process for construction industry enterprise agreements.
Reversal of the changes in Schedule 1, Part 3 of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022.
Abolition of the recently created National Construction Industry Forum, or transition into an industry consultation body that can support the work of a reinstated ABCC.
Consideration should be given to expanding the limit of the ABCC to important supply chains like maritime, resources and ports.
2: Criminal Investigations
A restored ABCC should have the powers, capacities and resources to undertake criminal investigations or clearly set out cooperative, referral or secondment mechanisms to work with law enforcement bodies.
Appoint an expert, such as a retired judge, to recommend a criminal investigation branch for the ABCC to investigate and bring charges against building industry figures, or for other cooperative arrangements for the ABCC to be able to investigate or otherwise progress criminal matters that come to light in its industrial regulation.
3: Inspectors
The existing prohibitions on hindering inspectors under the Fair Work Act should be beefed up, with increased civil penalties, and new prohibitions on criminal abuse and intimidation.
This should be extended to all employment related inspections including that by a restored ABCC and commonwealth, state and territory OHS inspection.
A restored ABCC should be specifically empowered to investigate allegations of abuse and obstruction of any government inspectors on building sites.
There should be consideration of adding a specific offence in the Crimes Act (Cth) for injuring inspectors exercising powers or functions under Commonwealth law, and of the mandatory and additional sentencing, and restrictions on non-custodial diversions which currently applies to injuring emergency service workers in Victoria.
Section 387 of the Fair Work Act identifies sexual harassment as specific conduct that can amount to a valid reason for dismissal (and a defence to an unfair dismissal claim). Added to this should be any threatening, abusive or violent conduct towards an employment inspector seeking to discharge their functions and responsibilities in a workplace, allowing employers to dismiss any employee who threatens or abuses a future ABCC inspector or state / territory OHS inspector, and to rely on this as a valid reason for dismissal.
Union Structures and Freedom of Association
1: Empower Workers in Union Decisions
Update the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 to better support workers in shaping their union representation:
Align with ILO Convention 87 to let workers freely decide their union representation.
Empower workers to (a) decide if they want a union to represent them, and (b) pick the union that fits their needs.
Ensure associations or organisations that employees choose can be registered and become registered organisations under the Australian workplace relations system.
Let members of merged unions vote to break away—by industry or state—if that’s their democratic will.
Help smaller unions thrive with easier registration and support.
2: Make Registering New Unions Easier
Update the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 to help new unions get started:
Remove outdated barriers like ‘existing organisations’ and ‘more conveniently belong’ from s 19(1)(j).
Let new and competing unions, including company-based unions, register if they meet key requirements: genuineness, no improper influence, enough members, clear rules, and proper electoral and financial practices.
Review existing union rules to ensure they follow fair governance standards, like corporations and associations.
Union Political Donations
1: Stop Public Sector Unions Funding Politics
Amend the Fair Work Act to protect public service impartiality:
Ban public sector unions from making political contributions or paying affiliation fees to parties.
Ensure taxpayer-funded unions prioritise public service neutrality over political agendas.
2: Protect Union Members from Unwanted Donations
Update the Fair Work Act to give union members control over their dues:
Allow members to opt out of political donations or party affiliation fees.
Require unions to directly disclose all political contributions to members, including amounts, recipients, and purposes —ensuring that unions must provide transparency so members know how their dues fund election campaigns.