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Goldstock proposes RICO-style offence for Olympic construction delays

Ronald Goldstock proposed that Queensland could make delays to Olympic infrastructure or related construction a predicate offence under laws modelled on RICO. Wood said the commission had heard evidence of unlawful CFMEU delays to significant construction projects.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 2 independent reports from 4 outlets · Article text read from 1 of 2 reportsHow it's made

View timeline · 4 entries
4 outletsLatest reporting 3 min read
Coverage: Center OnlyL 0 · C 3 · R 0 · 1 unrated

What happened

Key facts

  • Ronald Goldstock proposed that Queensland could adopt laws similar to those used against organised crime in New York (per brisbanetimes.com.au).
  • Goldstock suggested that delays affecting Olympic infrastructure or related construction could be made a RICO predicate offence (per brisbanetimes.com.au).
  • Wood said the commission had heard evidence of unlawful CFMEU delays to significant construction projects (per brisbanetimes.com.au).
  • Goldstock said the proposed measure could make a major difference to corruption and racketeering in Queensland's construction industry (per brisbanetimes.com.au).
  • The Age headline described Goldstock as a “Mafia fighter” and said he suggested New York-style laws to stop unions delaying Olympic builds (per The Age, brisbanetimes.com.au).
  • The Weekly Times headline said mafia laws would stop 2032 Games construction delays, according to the CFMEU inquiry (per weeklytimesnow.com.au).

The brief

Ronald Goldstock proposed that Queensland could make delays to Olympic infrastructure or related construction a predicate offence under laws modelled on measures used against organised crime in New York.

The proposal was made in the context of the CFMEU inquiry, where Wood said the commission had heard evidence of unlawful delays to significant construction projects attributed to the union. Goldstock said the measure could make a major difference to corruption and racketeering in Queensland's construction industry.

Goldstock’s suggestion was specifically tied to delays affecting Olympic infrastructure and related construction. He described a possible offence that could allow such a delay to be charged as a RICO predicate. His proposal was conditional: he said Queensland could create such an offence, rather than announcing that the state had adopted it.

Wood connected the proposal to evidence before the commission concerning the CFMEU and major projects. His statement was that the commission had heard evidence of unlawful delays; it was not presented as a finding by the commission. Goldstock’s comments addressed how Queensland might use laws resembling those applied against organised crime in New York.

Goldstock said, “You have the Olympics, and it has to be done on time,” before describing the possible predicate offence. He also said he believed the approach could make a major difference to corruption and racketeering in Queensland’s construction industry. Those remarks set out his assessment of the proposed legal mechanism and its potential application.

Brisbane Times reported that Goldstock previously directed the New York State Organised Crime Task Force and served as inspector-general of the US Department of Labor. In his remarks, he referred to New York in the 1980s, describing organised crime groups as having control over various industries and unions, and noting the challenge of prosecuting illegal activity.

The Age headline characterised Goldstock as a “Mafia fighter” and described his suggestion as New York-style laws to stop unions delaying Olympic builds. The Weekly Times headline said mafia laws would stop construction delays for the 2032 Games, framing the proposal in more definite terms than Goldstock’s conditional description.

The proposal itself concerned a possible predicate offence for delays affecting Olympic infrastructure or related construction.

Why it matters

  • The proposed legal mechanism would treat delays affecting Olympic infrastructure or related construction as a possible RICO predicate offence.
  • The commission’s inquiry concerns alleged unlawful CFMEU delays to significant construction projects, according to Wood’s account of the evidence heard.
  • Goldstock’s stated aim for the proposed approach is to make a major difference to corruption and racketeering in Queensland’s construction industry.

What to watch next

  • Whether Queensland considers creating the proposed predicate offence for delays affecting Olympic infrastructure or related construction.
  • How the commission assesses the evidence Wood described concerning alleged CFMEU delays to significant projects.
  • Whether Goldstock’s proposed approach is applied to Olympic infrastructure or related construction.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
5 source articles · 4 unique outlets · 2 distinct reports
Outlet political mix: Center Only· 3 Center · 1 unrated
Where the outlets are based: Asia 100%
Outlet political mix
Center Only
Left
Center
Right
0 outlets
3 outlets
0 outlets
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 1 unrated outlet is not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
4 unique outletsDominant coverage: Asia
Coverage imbalance
  • Coverage is currently concentrated among Center-rated outlets (3 of 3 rated sources); comparatively few Left or Right-rated outlets have published on the event.
  • Coverage is currently concentrated among outlets based in Asia (4 of 4 geographically-identified sources).
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

Updat3 does not yet have enough full reports to compare how outlets framed this story.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. The New York law invoked in discussions of organised-crime enforcement is the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, enacted on 15 October 1970 as part of the federal Organized Crime Control Act.
    Background · from our historical context
  2. The CFMEU was formed in 1992 through the merger of several construction, forestry and mining unions.
    Background · from our historical context
  3. Queensland’s Commission of Inquiry into the CFMEU was established in July 2024, giving the state a formal forum to examine the union’s conduct in the construction industry.
    Background · from our historical context
  4. The federal government placed the CFMEU’s construction division under administration.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3

How we got here

Queensland’s Commission of Inquiry into the CFMEU was established in July 2024, giving the state a formal forum to examine the union’s conduct in the construction industry. The inquiry followed the awarding of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games to Brisbane on 21 July 2021, which set a long-term programme of infrastructure planning and construction.

The New York law invoked in discussions of organised-crime enforcement is the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, enacted on 15 October 1970 as part of the federal Organized Crime Control Act.

Original sources

5 articles from 4 outlets · Asia · Show all

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