Building Bad

Building Bad: Inside the CFMEU’s Shocking Descent into Corruption and Organised Crime
Corruption. Violence. Intimidation. Organised crime. What happens when a powerful union loses its way?

In 2024, explosive allegations brought the Victorian branch of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) into the national spotlight. Whistleblowers and witnesses pointed to disturbing connections between union officials, outlaw motorcycle gangs and underworld figures.

Walkley Award-winning investigative journalists Nick McKenzie and Ben Schneiders followed the trail — and uncovered a deeply troubling story.
Their investigation revealed evidence of blackmail, extortion, drug trafficking on construction sites, sexual misconduct, bribery and the rorting of major government contracts.

At the centre of the story was John Setka, who led the Victorian CFMEU from 2012 for more than a decade. McKenzie and Schneiders expose how a culture driven by power, money and loyalty allowed underworld figures and bikies to rise into senior union positions, while major construction projects became targets for corruption.

The deeper they dug, the more dangerous the investigation became. McKenzie received death threats warning him to back off. He refused.
The result is Building Bad — an explosive account of the people, networks and criminal activity allegedly operating at the heart of one of Australia’s most powerful unions. It also raises difficult questions about what governments, regulators and institutions knew — and what they failed to do.

Incendiary, gripping and deeply unsettling, Building Bad is a powerful demonstration of why fearless investigative journalism matters.
Join Nick McKenzie and Ben Schneiders in conversation for a revealing discussion about their investigation, the risks they faced, the people they uncovered and the questions that remain unanswered.

Hear the story behind the headlines — and discover what happens when journalists refuse to look away.

Nick McKenzie is one of the nation's most decorated investigative journalists, having been named Australian Journalist of the Year on four separate occasions. Over two decades, he has worked for the ABC's Four Corners program, Nine's 60 Minutes and The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers. His reporting spans politics, defence, foreign affairs, the criminal justice system, corporate crime and social affairs. He has been awarded the Walkley, Australia's highest journalism award, a record twenty times. His bestselling book, Crossing the Line, was published in 2023.

Ben Schneiders is a Gold Walkley award-winning investigative journalist who has reported extensively on wage theft, corruption, business, politics and the labour movement. He previously worked for nearly twenty years at The Age as an investigative reporter and editor, winning multiple Walkley awards and was also a four-time winner of the Industrial Relations reporting award. His first book Hard Labour: wage theft in the age of inequality was published in 2022.

Street One | Reserved | Duration 60 Minutes
Click here for information on accessibility.