As Greenfield resisted pressure to step down,senior government sources speaking on condition of anonymity said an application for an administrator to replace the NSW CFMEU’s leadership would be lodged later this week. If this failed,the government would consider legislative means either by recalling parliament or waiting until the next sitting week.
Acting Opposition Leader Damien Tudehope called for the NSW Labor Party to donate all affiliation fees paid by the CFMEU since Greenfield was charged in 2021,labelling the proceeds “tainted money”.
Tudehope called for a royal commission with broad powers to examine whether the allegations of impropriety levelled against the Victorian branch of the CFMEU were also rampant within NSW.
Images show Darren Greenfield allegedly taking a wad of cash under a table (left) and then putting it in an office drawer (right).Credit:Fairfax Media
“So make no mistake,this is a union which has engaged for a long period of time in illegal activity. The material which has been disclosed over the last three days make the decision to have a royal commission self-evident,” he said.
The NSW fallout comes after a major investigation by this masthead,The Australian Financial Review,and60 Minutes,revealed fresh allegations in Victoria regarding CFMEU assistant secretary Derek Christopher,who is positioning to replace former boss John Setka.
The NSW CFMEU’s suspension came with the federal government also seeking to appoint an independent administrator to investigate criminal elements within the union after concerns were raised about gang-affiliated figures gaining access to major government infrastructure projects.
The suspension is expected to cause a structural shift within Sussex Street,as the CFMEU is the centre of power forthe Soft Left faction.
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Several senior Labor MPs who spoke to this masthead on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about party matters said it would create serious issues for the faction,particularly MLC Anthony D’Adam,a member of the Soft Left,who is up for pre-selection in 2026.
A supporter of Greenfield and backed by the CFMEU,D’Adam’s criticism of his party over its position on the war in Gaza has rankled senior members of the government,including Minns,whosacked him as a parliamentary secretary in May.
“The CFMEU is the heart of their support base,and they just lost it,” a senior Labor source said.
One member of the Soft Left said an in-principle agreement with the Hard Left,Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s faction,providing the sub-faction with a third of available committee positions was now in question.
“Anthony[D’Adam] is in a lot of strife,” the source said. D’Adam declined to comment when contacted.
As part of its response to this masthead’s investigation,Minns said he would ask the federal government to review any enterprise bargaining agreements (EBA) in NSW which the CFMEU is party to.
Theinvestigation revealed Christopher had received an estimated $200,000 in free labour and supplies from major building companies in 2017 and remained the subject of a police corruption probe.
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