Big Build royal commission LIVE updates: Gap Road witnesses continue after CFMEU organiser claims boss boasted of ‘direct line to Jacinta Allan’s office’

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Abbott, L. (2026, November 11). Big Build royal commission LIVE updates: Gap Road witnesses continue after CFMEU organiser claims boss boasted of ‘direct line to Jacinta Allan’s office’. The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/big-build-royal-commission-live-updates-gap-road-witnesses-continue-after-cfmeu-organiser-claims-boss-boasted-of-direct-line-to-jacinta-allan-s-office-20261112-p61dgp.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed

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Quick Summary

The Big Build royal commission is holding live updates where a former CFMEU official, Paul Tzimas, testified about a meeting on June 7, 2022. During this meeting, Tzimas claimed that a union boss boasted of having direct access to Jacinta Allan’s office, which was discussed with construction firm bosses from John Holland who were trying to resolve a costly dispute on a rail project.

Written by AI on 2026-11-11, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

On November 10 and 11, 2026, the Big Build royal commission in Victoria heard testimony revealing that the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) exerted significant influence over a government project. Former CFMEU official Paul Tzimas testified that his boss, Joe Myles, boasted of having a "direct line to Jacinta Allan’s office" during a pivotal meeting in June 2022 with contractors from the Rail Network Alliance working on the Gap Road level crossing removal project in Sunbury. The union had shut down the $110 million project for two days, and Myles threatened to lobby against awarding the consortium a contract for Melbourne Airport rail if they did not comply with the union’s demands, including appointing labor hire firms favored by the union. This testimony highlights the union's alleged misuse of political connections to control construction projects in Victoria.

Written for “Big Build Royal Commission Investigations” on 2026-11-12, grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.

Why this leaning score

This article does not take a side on a contested political question, so it has no leaning score. That is an answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political position.

No political leaning scored for article 146209 · logged 2026-11-11

Story

Big Build Royal Commission Investigations

Politics · 5 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

‘Direct line to Jacinta’: CFMEU’s links to political power and organised crime probed Same event

The Sydney Morning Herald

Hedges 7 of 63 claims Outlet record 61/100

CFMEU official claimed to have 'direct line to Jacinta Allan', inquiry hears Same event

ABC News (AU)

Hedges 4 of 33 claims Outlet record 67/100

Big Build royal commission LIVE updates: Gap Road project probe continues after John Holland managers discuss secret CFMEU meetings Same event

The Sydney Morning Herald

Hedges 0 of 7 claims Outlet record 61/100

Live: Victoria's Big Build royal commission gets underway Different event

ABC News (AU)

Leans left Hedges 1 of 14 claims Outlet record 67/100

“Article A covers the opening of the Victoria's Big Build royal commission hearings, while Article B reports on specific testimony from a later day of those hearings.”

‘We will smash you’: Allan warned CFMEU takeover would cause $400m blowout Different event

The Sydney Morning Herald

Leans right Hedges 5 of 53 claims Outlet record 61/100

“The articles describe different parts of a larger investigation into union activities, rather than the same specific incident.”

CFMEU’s guiding of company cash to Labor under microscope Different event

The Sydney Morning Herald

Leans strongly right Hedges 1 of 32 claims Outlet record 61/100

“While both articles discuss CFMEU's involvement in the Gap Road project, they describe different aspects and events: one focuses on donations to Labor and subsequent contract placements, while the other covers a hearing where an official testified about a meeting with contractors.”

Big Build royal commission LIVE updates: First Gap Road level project witnesses to testify at construction royal commission Different event

The Sydney Morning Herald

Hedges 0 of 3 claims Outlet record 61/100

“While both articles discuss the Big Build royal commission hearing related to Gap Road level crossing project, Article A describes the initial witnesses testifying on the first day of a two-week block focused on June 2022 events, while Article B covers testimony from a subsequent day where specific details about meetings and claims are revealed.”

Dozens of CFMEU stoppages in a week before rail site takeover, hearing told Different event

ABC News (AU)

Hedges 3 of 33 claims Outlet record 67/100

“The articles describe different hearings at the royal commission into the CFMEU, involving distinct incidents and witnesses.”

What to expect from Victoria's construction corruption royal commission Different event

ABC News (AU)

Leans left Hedges 4 of 22 claims Outlet record 67/100

“Article A provides an overview of the royal commission into corruption in Victoria's construction projects, while Article B gives live updates and details from a specific hearing where a witness testified about union bosses having direct connections to government officials.”

Victoria's Big Build inquiry hears CFMEU threatened to 'smash' subcontractor Different event

ABC News (AU)

Hedges 0 of 24 claims Outlet record 67/100

“The articles describe different parts of the Big Build royal commission hearings, focusing on separate incidents or meetings.”

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

0 of 3 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

61/100

The Sydney Morning Herald's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

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Who wrote this

Lachlan Abbott

15 article(s) here · 0 carrying a prediction

I couldn’t commend her more highly.”

2026-10-21 · assertive framing · The ‘generous’ words Helen Haines had for her rescuers

I couldn’t commend her more highly.

2026-10-21 · assertive framing · Police weigh up further charges against accused Haines attacker

“It’s never happened before, we couldn’t sleep the whole night.”

2026-10-16 · assertive framing · Hit team seen running from execution in Melbourne’s north

Giriwa May was sentenced to four years and 10 months in jail at the County Court on Thursday, with a non-parole period of two years and 10 months.

2026-10-15 · mixed framing · Northland driver bragged about crime after leaving children ‘terrified’

The court heard Deer later asked four labour hire companies if they would pay for their logos to be plastered on the donated vehicles, as he sought to recoup cash.

2026-10-09 · assertive framing · Former head of CFMEU training ‘out of pocket’ despite invoices fraud

The shock decision is set to be referred to the royal commission into the building industry amid questions about why the state Labor government has failed to act on repeated police requests first issued in 2014 – and most recently again this year – to toughen laws to force gangland figures out of the construction sector.

2026-10-01 · mixed framing · Extortion case collapses against bikie boss who was recorded warning ‘someone has to pay’

“Detectives will allege in court the three males – one allegedly armed with a pistol – entered the home and confronted Mr Tapia, before he was fatally shot,” NSW Police said in a statement on Wednesday.

2026-09-29 · assertive framing · Alleged gunman among three charged over student’s mistaken identity murder

In a phone call played in court, a friend could be heard contacting Triple Zero to ask for an ambulance before changing his mind as others in the background told him to hang up.

2026-09-28 · assertive framing · Police thought John was in a deep drunken sleep. Instead, he lay dying

Premier Ben Carroll revealed last month that former South Australian chief justice Chris Kourakis would lead today’s royal commission into the building industry.

2026-09-22 · mixed framing · Big Build royal commission LIVE: Opening hearing to lay foundations for probe into alleged corruption on government building sites

The woman also applied for bail, which police opposed as they say her mental health could not be adequately supervised by her parents while she awaits her trial.

2026-09-21 · mixed framing · Mother accused of driving off boat ramp in failed attempt to murder her three children

Also by Lachlan Abbott

The ‘generous’ words Helen Haines had for her rescuers

2026-10-21 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Police weigh up further charges against accused Haines attacker

2026-10-21 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Hit team seen running from execution in Melbourne’s north

2026-10-15 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Northland driver bragged about crime after leaving children ‘terrified’

2026-10-15 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 15 articles by Lachlan Abbott →

Claims (3 extracted, 0 hedged)

At yesterday’s hearing, a former CFMEU official claimed that a union boss boasted of having a “direct line to Jacinta Allan’s office” at a pivotal meeting with contractors who wanted to end a costly dispute on a rail project. asserted

who → claim → project

Former organiser Paul Tzimas spoke about a crucial meeting on June 7 in 2022, between the union and construction firm bosses from John Holland. asserted

Tzimas → speak → Holland

Here’s what he told the commission. asserted

he → ’ → commission

Big Build royal commission LIVE updates: Gap Road witnesses continue after CFMEU organiser claims boss boasted of ‘direct line to Jacinta Allan’s office’

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Claims (3 extracted, 0 hedged)