'We haven't failed': Victoria Police say it will take months to sift through CFMEU claims

Victoria Police denies turning a blind eye to “thuggish” alleged behaviour within the construction union, vowing to prosecute officials if evidence meets the criminal threshold.

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton received a referral from Premier Jacinta Allan on Sunday about allegations bikies and organised crime figures had infiltrated the Victorian branch of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU).

Mr Patton confirmed the force’s crime command had begun assessing the referral to determine whether the allegations met the criminal threshold.

“There’s obviously some really inappropriate, thuggish behaviour,” he told ABC Radio Melbourne on Tuesday.

“There are potential threats, there’s influence potential in contracts. Whether it meets the criminal threshold, though, is a different matter.”

It could take “a month or two” to sift through all the material before police rule one way or another, he warned.

“We’ll have to liaise with IBAC (Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission) as well,” Mr Patton said.

“There’s been a referral to them and whether aspects of it are more appropriately dealt with by IBAC.

“We’ll work through that but it’s not being brushed under the carpet, I can assure you that.”

Mr Patton denied Victoria Police had failed to uncover misconduct within the CFMEU, given the allegations came to light through a months-long investigation by Nine newspapers.

“Victoria Police can only act on matters referred to us,” he said.

“We don’t go actively trawling through union business or conduct procurements or anything unless it’s reported to us.

“So no, we haven’t failed at all.”

The premier has asked the ALP national executive to suspend the union’s construction arm from the Victorian Labor Party and requested the state party immediately stop accepting its donations.

Ms Allan, who served as state transport infrastructure minister from 2018 to 2023, said she had “zero tolerance” for the sort of “bullying, thuggish, appalling, rotten” behaviour exposed.

“Over my time as minister, whenever an allegation was put to me, it was investigated,” she told reporters on Monday.

“Not often (was) it put to me.”

Nine newspapers reported on Tuesday that Ms Allan and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese were sent letters in 2022, warning officials were threatening violence and black-banning firms not aligned with the union.

Mr Patton said the premier wrote to him in mid-2023 to raise “anecdotal concerns” about possible criminality occurring within the Major Transport Infrastructure Authority.

The referral was assessed by Victoria Police’s crime command but no action was taken as it was deemed not to meet the threshold of criminality, he said.