Police raids target senior CFMEU officials in Sydney

Police launched a series of dramatic raids across Sydney on Wednesday targeting CFMEU officials,including the union's NSW secretary,Darren Greenfield,and his assistant secretary son Michael Greenfield.

As part of an investigation into alleged criminal behaviour,Australian Federal Police,in a joint operation with NSW Police,executed search warrants,targeting properties associated with the union's construction division.

The Greenfields are part of the investigation,according to sources familiar with the police inquiries who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing sensitivity of the matter.

One of the raids by the AFP on the CFMEU headquarters in Pyrmont.

One of the raids by the AFP on the CFMEU headquarters in Pyrmont.Rhett Wyman

In a statement,CFMEU national construction secretary Dave Noonan said search warrants related to alleged breaches of Australia's industrial law had been issued for the raids at the union's Pyrmont office and a private premises. No arrests have been made.

CFMEU NSW secretary Darren Greenfield is part of the police investigation.

CFMEU NSW secretary Darren Greenfield is part of the police investigation.Kate Geraghty

"The union is cooperating to the extent required by law,"Mr Noonan said.

Mr Noonan criticised the AFP,which he said had been increasingly active in industrial relations matters and had previously raided CFMEU offices in Canberra and Brisbane without success.

"Neither of those raids resulted in any charges being laid against any union official. In the case of Canberra,the AFP actions were found to be unlawful by the ACT Supreme Court,"he said.

Mr Noonan said police did not demonstrate"a similar level of urgency"when investigating the alleged wrongdoing of Coalition ministers Angus Taylor and Michaelia Cash.

The police rejected suggestions they were unfairly targeting the union. AFP Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney said investigators had accumulated enough evidence to justify searches.

"We don’t target unions,we target criminality,"Mr McCartney said.

AFP raided the CFMEU headquarters in Pyrmont.

AFP raided the CFMEU headquarters in Pyrmont.Rhett Wyman

Asked if anyone would face charges,Mr McCartney said police would comment further at an appropriate time.

Investigators arrived at the CFMEU headquarters in Pyrmont in the early hours of the morning and were seen leaving the building on Wednesday evening.

The investigation is being conducted by the trade union taskforce,which also involves NSW Police.

The AFP-led taskforce was given responsibility for investigating allegations that flowed from the federal government's trade union royal commission five years ago and also supports the Registered Organisations Commission,established by the Coalition government in 2016 to regulate unions.

Federal police leave the construction union's headquarters on Wednesday evening.

Federal police leave the construction union's headquarters on Wednesday evening.Brook Mitchell

Both the ROC and its fellow industry watchdog,the Australian Building and Construction Commission,said Wednesday's raids were not their work.

Former High Court Justice Dyson Heydon,who oversaw the royal commission but has since been disgraced over allegations he sexually harassed his associates as a judge,recommended civil or criminal actions against dozens of people in his final report.

The CFMEU represents more than 100,000 members across construction,mining and energy. It is considered one of the most powerful unions in the country and has attracted attention from authorities for its sometimes aggressive tactics.

Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus questioned why police were not raiding"banks for money laundering and child exploitation ... politicians'offices for funding rorts and fundraisers with developers ... companies for tax rorts and wage theft".

"The list could go on and on,"she said on Wednesday morning.

Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney speaks to media after the arrest of a man over a $1 billion international graft scandal.

The raids come at an awkward time for the union,which on Tuesday opened nominations for its senior leadership positions as part of elections held every four years.

Positions up for grabs include NSW branch secretary and deputy secretaries,with nominations to close next month and voting next year if necessary.

It is also locked intense negotiations with builders in NSW over proposed enterprise agreements,which include conditions such as a fixed rostered day off that the Masters'Builders Association argues will reduce flexibility and increase costs.

The office of Attorney-General and Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter declined to comment because of the ongoing investigation.


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Fergus Hunter is a crime reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He previously reported on federal politics,education and communications at Parliament House in Canberra.

Nick Bonyhady is a technology writer for the Australian Financial Review,based in Sydney. He is a former technology editor,industrial relations and politics reporter at the Sydney Morning Herald and Age.

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