资深律师Geoffrey Watson在昆士兰建筑业调查委员会作证时，强烈抨击维州工党政府对其报告真实性的质疑。[1]Watson坚称他从未改变自己的核心发现——CFMEU的不当行为可能为维州Big Build项目增加15%的成本——并指责政府官员在未经核实的情况下向媒体发表声明。[1]
前维州总理Jacinta Allan曾声称Watson放弃了上述结论，但Watson否认了这一指控。[1]他表示，工党政府"没有任何人联系过我"讨论此事，直言政府"做出这些声明给媒体，没有问我任何关于我如何得出报告、如何完成报告的问题"。[1]当维州警察部长建议他若有问题应向警方举报时，Watson反驳称他每周都在向警方举报。[1]在证词中，Watson重申了自己的立场，表示"更加确定的是，所有证据都指向Mick Gatto控制M Group公司"。[1]
Geoffrey Watson, the senior lawyer who authored a report on the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees' Union, has rejected claims by the Victorian Labor government that he retreated from his findings.[1] Watson testified before a Queensland inquiry into the building industry, defending his conclusion that CFMEU misconduct could add up to 15 percent to the cost of Victoria's Big Build projects.[1]
Former Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan had asserted that Watson had backed away from this conclusion, but Watson denied the claim, stating that no one from the Labor Party had contacted him about his methodology or findings.[1] "They make these statements to the media without asking me any questions about how I came to the report, how I completed the report," Watson said.[1] He maintained his original position, asserting that "all the evidence points increasingly to Mick Gatto controlling the M Group company."[1]
When Victoria's Police Minister suggested Watson should report his concerns to authorities, Watson countered that he was reporting matters to police on a weekly basis.[1]