Mick Gatto braces for scrutiny as Victoria's building industry royal commission looms
Mick Gatto says he is untroubled by the pending royal commission into Victoria's construction sector, while investigators allege he has wielded undue influence over the CFMEU.
Victoria is set to launch a royal commission probing serious wrongdoing on major public construction sites, including claims that organised crime has penetrated the CFMEU and building firms. Geoffrey Watson SC's report accuses Mick Gatto, a mediation businessman with a criminal-world background, of acting as a "standover man" and having the power to halt projects. Gatto, who appeared on Karl Stefanovic's podcast, said the inquiry would be a costly witch hunt and dismissed 95% of Watson's findings as rubbish.
A police search of his Mount Martha home in June produced no charges, which Gatto described as a fruitless information-gathering exercise. He insists his mediation work simply resolves disputes between builders and the union without threats, despite allegations that he extorts payments by threatening site closures. The commission will assess whether taxpayer money has flowed to Gatto through these alleged practices.
Why it matters
The inquiry could expose how organised crime may have influenced billions of dollars in public construction contracts.
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