Nick McKenzie and Ben Schneiders: Building Bad
The Wheeler Centre
Walkley Award-winning journalists Nick McKenzie and Ben Schneiders go inside the investigation that rocked the CFMEU and sparked a Royal Commission into the construction sector.
In 2024, journalists Nick McKenzie and Ben Schneiders launched an explosive investigation into allegations of corruption and organised crime within the CFMEU, one of Australia's most powerful construction unions. In their reporting, whistleblowers and witnesses pointed to the union's links with outlaw bikie gangs and underworld figures, sending shockwaves through Victorian politics and the construction industry.
The fallout was profound: Victorian CFMEU leader John Setka resigned, the union’s construction arm was placed into administration, and Victoria established a Royal Commission into the sector. In Building Bad, McKenzie and Schneiders reveal the story behind the investigation – the whistleblowers, the death threats and the questions that remain unanswered.
In this edition of The Fifth Estate, these decorated journalists join host Sally Warhaft to discuss their reporting and the enduring role of investigative journalism in holding powerful institutions to account.
Presented in partnership with Melbourne Press Club
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