The Australian federal government paid approximately $3.8 million for personal protection for Mark Irving during his 20-month tenure as administrator of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU). The expenditure covered security services after credible death threats were made against Irving by organized criminals outside the union.
Irving served as administrator of the CFMEU from 2023 to 2024, a role appointed by the federal government after the union was placed into administration in 2024 due to allegations it operated as a criminal syndicate. During his tenure, he fired hundreds of people as part of restructuring efforts. The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR), in coordination with the Department of Home Affairs, arranged regular security checks and ongoing protective services for him. Sarah Godden, first assistant secretary of DEWR, stated, "The AFP, while obviously not divulging, conveyed to us that the threats made against Irving’s life were not only credible but by people with the means and motive to carry them out." The threats were attributed to organized criminals whose illicit operations were disrupted by the government’s intervention in the union.
Murray Watt, minister for the environment and water, who introduced the legislation to place the CFMEU into administration, also required personal security for a period after the law passed. "I did for a period of time, yeah," Watt said when asked about his own protective detail. He declined to specify the nature or origin of the threats but described them as coming from "criminal elements." Watt added, "All I’ll say is that there were a number of criminal elements around the country who were not very happy when this government initiated an administration of that union. Because it stood to disrupt their business model, and those criminal elements operate in a way to express their displeasure that maybe you and I wouldn’t operate in. I’ll just say that."
Portfolio budget statements show that $5.3 million has been allocated over two years to provide personal protective security for Michael Crosby, Irving’s successor as CFMEU administrator.