On 18 June 2026, I appeared as an expert witness before the Queensland Commission of Inquiry into the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) and alleged misconduct in the construction industry. I submitted a document of almost 8k words. My testimony attracted substantial media attention across Australia, including coverage by ABC News, The Courier-Mail, Brisbane Times, and other national and regional media outlets. See below some relevant links.

ABC News, 18 June 2026, “Queensland CFMEU branch may have operated as an organised crime group, criminologists say”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-18/qld-cfmeu-inquiry-organised-crime-group/106813640

InDaily Queensland, 19 June 2026, “Criminologists liken CFMEU to organised crime group”
https://www.indailyqld.com.au/news/just-in/2026/06/19/criminologists-liken-cfmeu-to-organised-crime-group

Courier-Mail, 14 June 2026, “CFMEU inquiry calls Oxford, Cambridge experts on organised crime”
https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/top-organised-crime-experts-to-examine-cfmeu-at-landmark-inquiry/news-story/ead0abf2b44173ab97d40a6099772063

Courier-Mail, 18 June 2026, “CFMEU Commission of Inquiry: Oxford, Cambridge criminology experts give evidence”
https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/international-criminology-experts-to-give-evidence-at-cfmeu-inquiry/news-story/c05e322ebb19856f1a57e16511f95f77

Courier-Mail, 19 June 2026, “Anti-racketeering laws floated as Qld CFMEU inquiry hears mafia claims”
https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/experts-compare-cfmeu-to-mafia/news-story/1d2fec48ba874bb26b5b07e1041f3138

Brisbane Times, 17 June 2026, “CFMEU engaged in illegitimate financial shadow operations, inquiry told”
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/cfmeu-engaged-in-illegitimate-financial-shadow-operations-inquiry-told-20260617-p607jv.html

Brisbane Times, 18 June 2026, “CFMEU figures’ overlapping roles may expose union to tax bill”
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/cfmeu-figures-overlapping-roles-may-expose-union-to-tax-bill-20260618-p607wh.html

The Chronicle, 19 June 2026, “CFMEU inquiry: Experts compare unions to Mafia”
https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/queensland/experts-compare-cfmeu-to-mafia/news-story/1d2fec48ba874bb26b5b07e1041f3138

Gold Coast Bulletin, 19 June 2026, “CFMEU inquiry: Experts compare unions to Mafia”
https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/queensland/experts-compare-cfmeu-to-mafia/news-story/1d2fec48ba874bb26b5b07e1041f3138

Herald Sun, 18 June 2026, “CFMEU Commission of Inquiry”
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/queensland/international-criminology-experts-to-give-evidence-at-cfmeu-inquiry/news-story/c05e322ebb19856f1a57e16511f95f77

NT News, 18 June 2026, “International criminology experts to give evidence at CFMEU inquiry”
https://www.ntnews.com.au/news/queensland/international-criminology-experts-to-give-evidence-at-cfmeu-inquiry/news-story/c05e322ebb19856f1a57e16511f95f77

Official Commission material:

Witness Bundle – Professor Federico Varese
https://www.cfmeuinquiry.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/909037/witness-bundle-professor-federico-varese.pdf

Witness list for public hearings, 16–18 June 2026
https://www.cfmeuinquiry.qld.gov.au/news-media/witness-list-for-eleventh-public-hearing-block-16-18-june-2026

Public hearing transcript, 16 June 2026
https://www.cfmeuinquiry.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/908835/public-hearing-block-eleven-day-one-transcript-16-june-2026.pdf

Institutional / secondary mentions:

Nuffield College, University of Oxford, news item mentioning the ABC coverage
https://www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/

Ground News aggregator page
https://ground.news/article/criminologists-liken-cfmeu-to-organised-crime-group_9292aa

Image agency:

Imago Images, photograph/screenshot of testimony
https://www.imago-images.de/st/0859431728?searchID=f6c2e82d-d0c6-414b-8aa2-e440d25ea6f9