The AWU’s state secretary, Stacey Schinnerl, testifies that CFMEU leaders are pressing to yield to their demands and highlights the AWU’s broader role in civil construction.

Inquiry hearings are expected to resume in February to continue examining potential misconduct, bias, and political influence in Queensland’s major project policy and union activity.

The inquiry investigates ties between CFMEU leaders, the workplace safety regulator, and political actors, including alleged arrangements involving public servants and government-backed legal positions.

Schinnerl warned in March 2021 that a planned addition to transport department policy could conflict with federal law and allow CFMEU access to agreements without majority membership.

Key contractors on major projects like Cross River Rail, Gold Coast Light Rail, and Centenary Bridge figure in the narrative due to perceived concessions to the CFMEU or access arrangements.

Queensland Council of Unions secretary Jacqueline King describes CFMEU-led dysfunction within the regulator and attempts to influence legislation tied to union access and permit loopholes.

A 2018- era review considered whether AWU and CFMEU policies extended union coverage to major projects over $100 million, scrutinized during the inquiry.

Schinnerl claims advisers aligned with CFMEU, and she drafted a letter noting "infected bias" that could undermine government decisions; de Brenni acknowledged the concerns in his briefing.

References to potential police referrals and investigations into actions by former CFMEU leaders, with further hearings and a final report due by August after a $20 million inquiry.

Schinnerl describes attempts by CFMEU leaders to extend influence across major civil projects and to pressure regulators, contractors, and the former Labor government.

Dispute over the third stage of the Gold Coast light rail, where changes could enable CFMEU-entered agreements contrary to AWU interests; the third stage was awarded to the CFMEU despite AWU gains earlier.

Emails and meetings from early 2021 show AWU secretary Stacey Schinnerl detailing Best Practice Industry Conditions she believed would artificially boost CFMEU influence on civil construction projects.

Questions arise over a police memorandum of understanding with the Office of Industrial Relations that allegedly misrepresented law and enabled CFMEU officials to access worksites without federal permits; Schinnerl links CFMEU to former construction compliance director Helen Burgess.

Historical alignment—CFMEU with the Labor Left and AWU with the Labor Right—provides context for the evolving union dynamics in the hearings.

Federal CFMEU secretary Zach Smith is described as proposing a demarcation agreement to curb violence, but Schinnerl says the effort targeted coverage rather than genuine representation.

Testimony details violence, threats, intimidation, and humiliation used to expand CFMEU influence amid disputes over site access and worker representation.

Uncovering alleged breaches of formal rules by CFMEU leaders has sparked public scrutiny of Queensland’s labor movement.

The inquiry offers broader insights into how union power is exercised in construction and its potential impact on the economy.

Schinnerl cites a May 2025 CFMEU executive plan to take over the AWU, including a funded plan and $1 million to enable a joint AWU membership strategy to control the state AWU branch in a future election.