It is 15 months since Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Australians that the decision to appoint an independent administrator of the CFMEU represented “the strongest possible action”.

Yet in March of this year, our investigative reporter, Nick McKenzie, spoke exclusively to one of administrator Mark Irving, KC’s employees, barrister Geoffrey Watson, SC, who raised the alarm over the extent of organised crime’s infiltration of Victoria’s Big Build.

In the months since, there have been repeated reminders of the scale of this problem, from the allegations against construction giant Webuild and its subcontractor Future Form involving work at the new Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek to the accusations of violence and intimidation by union officials outlined in Watson’s July report on the CFMEU’s Queensland branch, which prompted the Crisafulli government to open a commission of inquiry.

Earlier this month, Irving himself wrote an unprecedented letter to gangland identity Mick Gatto, warning him away from union employees and premises. “Your........

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