Liberal-linked barrister and top bureaucrat to head Queensland’s CFMEU probe

The news

A prominent conservative Melbourne barrister with Liberal Party links has been announced as the head of Queensland’s inquiry into the CFMEU.

Stuart Wood AM, KC, will lead the commission of inquiry, with Youth Justice Department director-general and former deputy police commissioner Bob Gee to take leave and fill the role of secretary.

But the appointments – particularly Wood’s – ruffled feathers for the appearance of being a “captain’s pick” by Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie.

Why it matters

The powerful probe, expected to take 12 months, will use its broad powers to protect – and compel – witnesses and evidence while investigating violence and misconduct in the union.

It will also have the power to unpack underworld links and what have been described by Bleijie as “enablers” in the former Labor government, along with recommending prosecutions and changes to criminal laws.

This follows a series of reports by this masthead outlining allegations of corruption and criminal links in the union’s Victorian and NSW branches, which led to the CFMEU being placed under administration by the federal Labor government.

Bleijie conceded in a Wednesday estimates hearing he had an “obsession” with the CFMEU and has previously boasted of having “head-hunted” the 100-day Olympic review team.

Wood was reported in 2020 to have been a member of the Liberal Party, but a Victorian Liberal source said he has since left.

What they said

“This inquiry represents a significant responsibility, and I am committed to conducting it with the thoroughness and rigour the people of Queensland deserve,” Wood said.

Meanwhile, Bleijie, in a joint statement with Attorney-General Deb Frecklington, Wood and Gee, said the men would bring a wealth of experience to their work, which was set to begin today.

“Queenslanders want change, and we are delivering that change after 10 years of inaction by the former Labor government, which facilitated a protection racket for the CFMEU, in turn silencing victims and whistleblowers,” he said.

“The inquiry will ensure the rule of law is returned to the construction industry.”

Asked at a later media conference whether he considered Wood’s former Liberal Party membership to be a problem, Bleijie said “not at all” and accused Labor of running a “scare campaign”.

Asked if he was concerned that the Liberal links might colour the perception of the inquiry’s work, he repeated “not at all”.

Bleijie highlighted the case of Robodebt royal commissioner Catherine Holmes being appointed by a Labor government despite having sued then National Party premier Rob Borbidge in 1997 for making her a “scapegoat” in sacking her from the Community Corrections Board.

He also sought to highlight Peter Coaldrake’s past Labor donation before his review into culture and accountability of the public sector for then-premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

“There is no one better qualified in Australia to lead this inquiry,” he said.

He described the appointment as a “lengthy process” in which “I looked for the most eminent, qualified, legal professional dealing with industrial relations in Australia and I made that representation to the Governor of Queensland.”

Bleijie then stated it was in fact he and Frecklington who “looked at a number of options” but ultimately “made the decision and presented that to the Governor”.

Another perspective

Queensland Council of Unions general secretary Jacqueline King described Wood as a “captain’s pick” by Bleijie.

“It raises question about – not his qualifications – but the actual process and whether the process of the situation passes the pub test about independence and impartiality,” she said.

“We clearly know that the LNP government is trying to target not just the CFMEU, but also Labor in opposition.”

Further detailed questions to Bleijie’s office about how Wood’s appointment came to be, and whether the standard due diligence process was undertaken by the Justice Department, were answered by a government spokesperson who said the appointment and establishment of the inquiry were “matters for cabinet”.

Frecklington’s office and the Justice Department were also contacted for a response. The Labor opposition declined to comment on the appointment.

What you need to know

Wood has worked in industrial law for three decades, and acted for high-profile clients such as footballer Israel Folau in his wrongful dismissal case over an anti-gay Instagram post, and for Coles in its defence of landmark underpayment allegations.

He was appointed to the Order of Australia in 2019 for service to the legal profession’s industrial relations area, and he’s been secretary of the conservative Liberal-aligned Samuel Griffith Society legal organisation for a decade.

While Bleijie said the expected 12 months should be long enough for the inquiry’s work, he added that if Wood requested more time, it would be considered.

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