<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/victoria" rel="" target="" title="Victorian"><span>Victorian</span></a><span> taxpayers may have had to pay as much as $30 billion over alleged union corruption on the state's Big Build projects, according to a new report.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The explosive report by anti-corruption expert Geoffrey Watson SC into the scale of corruption in the Victorian CFMEU was today tabled during a Queensland inquiry looking into misconduct in its construction union.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The report included claims strippers were hired as cleaners for $100,000 salaries, then paid cash to perform on-site at night.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/six-names-in-epstein-files-redacted-sultan-ro-khanna-thomas-massie-usa-news/5dca7843-114e-4188-89da-dbb1f291b6fa" target="_blank"><strong><span>Six redacted names in Epstein files identified</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> Allegations of work sites being used for drug distribution were also aired, along with details about former CFMEU boss John Setka's secret property portfolio.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The Setka-era CFMEU turned to looking after gangsters, standover men, bikies, heroin traffickers, and even killers," the report read.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The big money generated by the Big Build was at the root of the problem in Victoria.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/alleged-big-build-union-corruption-may-have-cost-victorians-up-to-30-billion/4fe71492-37f8-4768-a155-312f91d6a743" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The temptation created by the big money proved too great."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Watson said a conservative estimate of the cost to taxpayers was $15 billion, but warned it "could be $30 billion".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The Victorian CFMEU under John Setka was a crime organisation," Watson claimed during the inquiry today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The CFMEU had built up such a momentum of power that everybody was scared of them."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Premier Jacinta Allan, who was the presiding minister over the Big Build projects for years before becoming premier, did not comment on the allegations today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny answered questions during an unrelated public appearance.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/chatgpt-caricature-trend-ai-privacy-concerns-cyber-experts-opinion/84a56b13-bd26-420a-8298-3b6c6f65b0af" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Experts warn 'fun' ChatGPT caricature trend may not be as harmless as you think</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We will wait to see the report once it is handed down. Let us review that report and then respond in a fulsome manner," Kilkenny said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Allan has previously denied having any knowledge of alleged misconduct within the CFMEU.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The government just wanted to get the projects finished. There was just one way to do it and that was to keep the CFMEU on side," Watson claimed.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If somebody had stomped on this, they could have stopped it."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Opposition Leader Jess Wilson called on the premier to front up to the claims, labelling her actions as "a failure of leadership".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"For every Victorian household, that's more than $5000 of a CFMEU tax and the premier and the Labor government knew about it but failed to do anything about it," Wilson said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The premier needed to come out today and answer the questions of Victorians, to answer why, under her watch, first as the minister responsible for these projects for the past decade and then as the premier, the leader of this state, how $15 billion of taxpayers' money has been wasted.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"That money could've gone to nurses, to police, to teachers."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Victorian CFMEU's administrator says the allegations have been referred to the AFP, Victoria Police, the Fair Work Commission and "other relevant law enforcement agencies".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>