Interview with Prue Bentley, ABC VIC Statewide

Event: Interview with Prue Bentley, ABC VIC Statewide
Date: 17 March 2025, 4:55pm AEDT
Speakers: Denita Wawn, CEO Master Builders Australia
Topics: CFMEU; Breaking Bad

E&OE

Prue Bentley, ABC VIC Statewide: Denita Wawn is the CEO of Master Builders Australia. Denita, good afternoon. Thank you for joining us on Drive. Now, the Premier, as you heard, has launched Operation Hawk in response to this. Do you welcome that development?

Denita Wawn, CEO Master Builders Australia: We do. It’s long overdue. We have been calling for since these allegations were first aired in July of last year, for a multi-jurisdiction inquiry from federal and multiple state police, in terms of the fact that this is not just confined to Victoria. They need more money, they need more people, and they need more coordination. So it’s a good start, but we’ve always known that administration was only the first call, not the only call in cleaning out the problems we have in the building and construction industry.

Prue: So we’ve just heard from the Opposition leader calling for the union to be deregistered. He’s also pushing for so called anti-mafia laws, modelled on those in the US. Can you just outline what that means and where you stand on that?

Denita: Yeah, certainly. I mean, first of all, I’d like to address the fact that we are supportive of administration. The administrator is doing a good job. He is restricted in what he can do to stamp out the problems. This is broader than what he’s required to do, and so that’s the reason why the Opposition have promoted these additional laws that we have said have been needed, that is around corruption in our sector, and holding not only individuals, but also organisations, companies and so forth to account in utilising the system to actually have benefits to themselves to the detriment of clients and others in the sector. So it is critical that we stamp out this corruption. It has been needed for decades, and we certainly commend the Coalition for their announcement today, which is consistent with our policies.

Prue: What do you hear from builders on the ground?

Denita: Builders on the ground are saying that things are still happening, that there is bullying, there is push for signing agreements that they don’t agree to, that there are still efforts of stand over tactics. There’s no doubt the administrator has done well to get the worst of it calmed down. But nevertheless, if we do not put every single resource on the ground, we still, we’re waiting for the High Court decision to validate the administration. But more importantly, we need leadership from federal and state governments to put adequate resourcing in and adequate laws to ensure that we have a clean industry. And this is far beyond just the administrator and the CFMEU. It is about criminal activity that needs to be stamped out.

Prue: Are you surprised by these new allegations that have been aired in Nine newspapers and on 60 Minutes last night?

Denita: Unfortunately, no. It was horrific to see that, particularly in terms of the violence towards women. But this is nothing new to us. We have been actively lobbying for these types of actions by governments for decades now. It is disappointing that in July of last year that we only saw administration and some minor efforts to try and put resourcing into police jurisdictions. We call for the Federal Government and multiple police forces to be resourced, and they have appropriate laws to stamp out corruption in our industry. More needs to be done, despite the calls today, and it shouldn’t need another media story for governments to act.

Prue: Denita Wawn, thank you so much for your time.

Denita: Thank you.

Media contact:
Dee Zegarac
National Director, Media & Public Affairs
0400 493 071
dee.zegarac@masterbuilders.com.au