Loading That proposed probe would target members of the CFMMEU’s national executive while the union's own probe would target its staff and even the union’s lawyers, Gordon Legal, with the Setka-led branch demanding access to records to see if they were involved in any of the leaks to The Age. That would involve a "forensic IT and phone audit of all employees, branch officials and national officers of the union, with access to the private documents". It is unclear what legal authority - if any - the Setka-led branch has to demand phone records of other parts of the union. The Setka-led leadership also called for what appeared to be a virtual star chamber.

They demanded individual members of the national executive be required to "front the Victorian branch delegates meeting and each give their views and interpretation of the events and discussion coming out of the last NEX (national executive)". Last month, Mr Setka’s lawyer indicated to a Victorian court that the construction union leader would plead guilty to using a carriage service to harass a woman. He would also plead guilty to a count of persistently breaching a court order. But the issue escalated only after The Age revealed on June 8 leaked text messages and a witness statement that detailed more about Mr Setka’s harassment. Police analysis of Mr Setka’s phone activity reveals on a single evening last October, he called the woman 25 times and sent her 45 text messages. In the messages he called her a "weak f---en piece of shit" and a "treacherous Aussie f---en c---" and a "f---en dog".

Loading The Age also reported leaked comments from Mr Setka at the national executive of the CFMMEU where he linked Rosie Batty’s advocacy with men having fewer rights. Where the court case itself had caused little stir, this revelation created a political and media storm with Labor leader Anthony Albanese last week moving to expel Mr Setka from the ALP. At first, Mr Setka said the comments at the meeting about Ms Batty were taken out of context. By Tuesday last week he all but confirmed aspects of the comments to online publication New Daily, saying he did tell the meeting that lawyers had told him that laws had been biased against women in the past but were now – after Ms Batty’s campaigns and the royal commission – skewed against men.

Now the Victorian construction branch’s management committee is demanding a public statement of support for Mr Setka from the national leadership of the union. Since the scandal broke, CFMMEU national secretary Michael O’Connor has not commented nor has national construction union leader Dave Noonan. Last Thursday, ACTU secretary Sally McManus called on Mr Setka to resign over his admission of criminal guilt for harassing a woman. Since then 12 national unions have followed suit calling for his resignation. The Setka-led branch dismissed these calls as being "more to do with politics than anything to do with the current situation and only encourage the cowardly actions of an unnamed source who leaked vile unsubstantiated allegations against the secretary".