Yacht Video Sparks Fresh Storm Over Mick Gatto and Union Powerbrokers
A luxury yacht, champagne on ice and one of Australia’s most controversial underworld figures at the table, that is the image now shaking Victoria’s political and union establishment.
Newly surfaced footage shows Mick Gatto dining aboard a yacht alongside two powerful union leaders, Earl Setches of the plumbers’ union and Peter Marshall of the firefighters’ union. The yacht is owned by former AFL player turned media personality Sam Newman, a longtime public figure in Australian sport and media. The optics are impossible to ignore.
This gathering comes at a time when authorities are trying to clean up alleged criminal influence within the construction sector, particularly inside the CFMEU. Administrators brought in to reform the union have introduced strict rules aimed at limiting contact with so-called industrial “fixers.” Gatto has been repeatedly identified by corruption investigators as a damaging presence in the building industry. He has denied wrongdoing and says he is being unfairly blamed for broader systemic problems.
But the concern here goes beyond one lunch on the water. Earl Setches is not just a union boss. He holds influence within the Labor Party and sits as a director linked to Cbus, a major industry superannuation fund. At the same time, Cbus itself is now facing scrutiny over a separate issue involving a former CFMEU official and a board appointment that allegedly involved an undisclosed personal relationship. An investigation is underway.
Also Read:- Wizz Air Expands Barcelona Flights in Major Mediterranean Travel Shake-Up
- Ramadan 2026 Timetable Sparks Global Debate Over Crescent Moon
So what does this mean for the Victorian government?
Premier Jacinta Allan has acknowledged deep concerns about what she described as a rotten culture that had taken hold in parts of the sector. She insists she does not meet with Gatto, but questions are growing about how close certain union powerbrokers remain to figures long associated with the criminal underworld.
Setches has defended the yacht event, saying it was connected to charity work related to autism fundraising and not industrial matters. He insists he has never had industrial dealings with Gatto in his 26 years as union secretary. Still, critics argue perception matters, especially when billions in public infrastructure spending are flowing through the state’s Big Build projects.
Police continue to investigate financial links between building firms and entities associated with Gatto. No findings have been finalized. No charges have been announced in connection with this specific meeting. But politically, the damage may already be unfolding.
At stake is public trust, in unions, in superannuation funds managing workers’ savings and in the government’s promise to stamp out corruption.
This story is still developing and its consequences could reshape power structures within Victoria’s labor movement. Stay with us as we continue to follow every twist in this unfolding investigation and bring you the facts as they emerge.
Read More:
0 Comments