John Setka attacks CFMEU administrators after Melbourne court hearing

Former CFMEU boss John Setka launched a tirade against the union's administrators, calling them "ALP hacks" who are ruining the organisation, after appearing in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Thursday. He vowed to fight charges against him. Setka, 61, was arrested last month over an Instagram post featuring images of former administrator Mark Irving KC and assistant administrator Matt McGowan, which he labelled a "rogues' gallery of shit bags." He faces charges including using a telecommunications device to menace and offend, plus two counts of committing an indictable offence while on bail. The court also heard Setka faces family violence-related charges, which he said would be "heavily contested." His lawyers are seeking additional material from prosecutors. Setka led the CFMEU for over a decade before stepping down in 2024 amid allegations of underworld infiltration, with Irving appointed administrator that August.