The CFMEU inquiry resumes today with Commissioner Stuart Wood AM KC presiding over a three-day block of hearings. After a brief break on the Gold Coast last week, the commission shifts focus to government witnesses for the first time.
Key Witnesses from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland
Four former principal inspectors from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) are scheduled to provide evidence: David Cappelletti, Paul Watts, Noel Hayes, and Deborah Dargon, who now serves as operations manager. The specific reasons for their appearances remain undisclosed.
Background on Prior Revelations
Previous sessions have uncovered issues with a problematic agreement between police and the state’s industrial relations office. Evidence also points to connections between the office and the CFMEU, including a close personal relationship between former construction compliance and field services director Helen Burgess and the union’s ex-president, Royce Kupsch.
This relationship allegedly enabled the pair to direct inspectors’ actions, influencing operations within the sector.
