Intimidation by federal police to CFMEU officials - "I know your kids names"

The CFMEU has complained to the Commonwealth ombudsman about serious intimidation and illegal activities by special task forces of the Australian Federal Police. Things like interviewing people without lawyers, heavy handed illegal raids on union premises, and even a threat by an AFP officer that he knew the names of the persons kids and what time he dropped them off at school in the mornings. 

Whatever is going on politically, these are outrageous breaches of civil rights and need to be investigated thoroughly and independently. Don't hold your breath for that one. 

These complaints were made in response to the royal commission into evil unions. You know, that thing we're supposed to all be going to an election on over the gov wanting to bring back the ABCC to control the evil dastardly building union.....

The union’s complaint alleges that when the Australian federal police searched the ACT branch’s headquarters on 25 August, one officer told the branch secretary Dean Hall, “I do know about your family things”, to explain how he knew his wife’s name. 

“Like, I know your kids’ names and their ages and where they go to school and when you drop them off,” the officer is said to have told Hall. “What do you expect? I am profiling you.” 

The union’s lawyer, Phillip Pasfield, told the ombudsman these alleged statements were intimidatory, unwarranted and designed to threaten Hall, who was “extremely upset” about the incident. 

In December the Australian Capital Territory supreme court ruled that the raid was unlawful because police withheld information from the magistrate in order to get the warrant. 

The CFMEU complained that the officer in charge of the raid told building industry participants that he would prefer to make workplace agreements with the Master Builders Association, not the CFMEU. 

“The CFMEU is extremely concerned that the officer concerned ... has engaged in taking sides in industrial matters between employers and the CFMEU,” the union said. 

That politicised any possible legitimate investigations, the union said. The Guardian