CFMEU corruption hearing in the ACT - week two, day two - click here to watch and comment

Mr Docking appears for the Plumbing Division of the CEPU

Mr Stoljar formally admitted Mr Stojanovic's statement into evidence.

Mr Bartlett is the first witness for today is the WorkSafe inspector Joseph Bartlett.

Mr Bartlett has been at WorkSafe since 2012. Prior to that he was an "authorised officer" involved with the administration of horse racing in the ACT.

Mr Bartlett describes attending at the building site administered by Mr Rossi and Mr Stojanovic referred to in yesterday's evidence. He states that he was satisfied with the engineer's certificate in regard to both the propping and side protection of the "deck" (i.e. the new floor being poured) and the stability of the ground.

He states there were 3 or 4 CFMEU officials present at the site at the time (i.e. 7.45AM) he arrived.

There were minor safety related issues that would have no effect on the pour - he instructed all present the pour should continue, he advised his superior so.

He reports that the CFMEU official said, "If you don't fucking stop the pour and someone gets hurt you'll go to fucking jail".

He states that the CFMEU official was within arms length and was poking his finger at both his head and chest.

As a result of the intimidation served up to him Mr Bartlett states that he stopped the pour.

He recalls in his statement seeing a CFMEU official grab the rail and shook it violently back and forth. The railing did not come loose.

Mr Bartlett has corroborated the evidence given yesterday by Mr Rossi and Mr Stojanovic.

AT 10.30 Mr Stoljar completed his examination.

Mr Agius is now cross-examining Mr Bartlett.

Mr Agius asks, "Would you agree with me that you were too junior to be sent out to take responsibility for that site?"

Mr Agius produced a raft of photographs of the site taken on the day.

You have to feel for Mr Bartlett. Mr Agius has clearly attended a master-class in site safety using the photos taken by the CFMEU officials who attended the site on the morning of the concrete pour.

At 1140 Mr Agius completed his cross examination.

THE COMMISSION IS ADJOURNED UNTIL NOON

Steve J said:

The issue is not whether there were breaches of safety codes no matter how serious or minor they were. The issue is why does the Union turn up to complain about anything they can discover in the middle of a pour which if interrupted is likely to maximise the loss to the builder. The answer is that concerns about safety is not the dominant motivation for the intervention; punishing and intimidating the builder is!

AT NOON THE COMMISSION RESUMED

Jason Hooper, director of Advance Plumbing and Draining is the next witness.

Counsel for the plumbers union has some objections to Mr Hooper's statement.

Mr Hooper states that the CEPU would "belt the site" of work sites where contractors did not have an EBA with the union. "Belt the site" meant attend on site and disrupt operations, attempt to find safety issues and as far as possible stop the normal activities of workers on site.

THE BULLDOG

Mr Hooper has given evidence that "Theo", a Sydney based CEPU official would be brought down to Canberra to attend on site at workplaces where contractors would not sign a union EBA. "The Bulldog" was known for his distinctive competence in intimidating and disrupting the work of contractors who fail to sign union EBA's.

"Fuck you, fuck the union, tell Dave to go and fuck himself". This is the statement attributed to Mr Hooper by Dave Poskus (phonetic) of the union. Mr Hooper denies the statement.

The evidence being led this morning is almost exclusively in documentary form - Counsel Assisting refers Mr Hooper to a document and seeks his response to it. It's very difficult to provide commentary without seeing the documents.

At 12.47 Mr Stoljar completed his examination.

Mr Docking for the CEPU is cross examining Mr Hooper.

This is a most unedifying exchange - Counsel for the CEPU is trying to elicit commentary from Mr Hooper about alleged F you, F the union, F the world statements he is said to have made.

Crazy.

AT 1PM THE COMMISSION ADJOURNED FOR LUNCH and for everyone to settle down a bit.

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