Prof Paolo Campana gives evidence via video link during the Commission of Inquiry into the CFMEU at the Brisbane Magistrates Court. Credit: IMAGO / AAP
As part of an ongoing inquiry into claims of misconduct related to the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) and construction industry in Australia, Prof Campana and long-term collaborator Prof Federico Varese were asked to review material presented during proceedings and determine whether they believed the CFMEU operated as a so-called "governance organised crime group”.
As reported by ABC News, their submissions suggest the CFMEU likely engaged in criminal governance of the construction industry.
Campana is one of the world’s leading experts in organised crime and his collaborative research with Varese has helped to shape international policy and law enforcement strategies.
As a result of previous research published in the British Journal of Criminology and the European Journal of Criminology, and making use of their ‘Crim-Gov questionnaire’, a survey tool developed to map and measure governance-related dimensions of organised crime groups’ activities, Campana and Varese were asked to review whether some alleged conducts in the Queensland construction industry would constitute criminal governance. They were also asked to suggest potential intervention policies based on evidence from other settings.
“Criminal governance is a particularly pernicious phenomenon," says Campana. "It can undermine the functioning of markets, institutions and communities, and occur even in countries with strong institutions and the rule of law. The Crim-Gov questionnaire offers an analytical lens to identify instances of criminal governance across diverse settings. Identifying these instances shapes the policy response required”.
The Crim-Gov questionnaire has previously been adopted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as part of its Urban Safety Governance Assessment of Iztapalapa, Mexico City. The questionnaire is also currently being rolled out in Brazil.
The Queensland inquiry is ongoing. You can find a recording and transcript of the proceedings including those featuring Campana and Varese on the inquiry website (week 11 day 3, 18 June 2026).