Nick McKenzie and Ben Schneiders: Building Bad

Walkley Award-winning journalists Nick McKenzie and Ben Schneiders go inside the investigation that rocked the CFMEU (Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union) and sparked a Royal Commission into the construction sector.

In 2024, McKenzie and Schneiders launched an investigation into allegations of corruption and organised crime within the CFMEU, one of Australia's most powerful construction unions. In their reporting, whistle-blowers 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 whistle-blowers, the death threats and the questions that remain unanswered.