Albanese government accused of fuelling organised crime and corruption nationwide. By Robert Gottliebsen in The Australian.

ALP strategists in Canberra who advocate an early election next year are now waking up to the likelihood of a severe economic downturn following the wealth reduction measures in the federal budget.

But by 2027 another danger is likely to emerge. The Albanese government’s mistakes are directly contributing to the crime and corruption affecting the building and retail sectors, not just in Victoria but around the nation. It will become a national political issue by 2027.

The Commonwealth government (under both parties) has fostered organised crime around the country via its ridiculous tobacco excise rates. …

Now organised criminals are demanding that conventional retailers who do not sell illegal cigarettes pay protection money or risk having their premises burnt down. The criminal’s next step will be to attack all retailers.

This is Mafia-style criminality that we have never before seen in Australia and, given that it was triggered by the Commonwealth government’s foolish actions, it must take responsibility. …

On the building side, the Victorian government’s fostering of organised crime through its close links with the CFMEU and building unions is no secret. For the nation, the Victorian disease must be contained. It has already infected Snowy 2.0. …

It’s in Victoria, but all Australians pay for it:

We are discovering that the [Victorian] government knew there had been a 30 per cent increase in building costs across most major infrastructure projects as a result of criminal activity and restrictive work practices. The amount of cash that flowed to organised crime is reported to be about $15bn. A Royal Commission is desperately needed.

Anthony Albanese contributed to that exodus of money when he abolished the Australian Building and Construction Commission. The commission might not have stopped the money drain, but it would have curtailed it and exposed it.

Meanwhile, in Victoria, the organised crime operators who have plagued major building projects are discovering that their existing honey pots are reaching completion. They need a new project to continue extracting taxpayers’ money. And guess what? A potential honey pot of enormous proportions has been devised — the so-called Suburban Rail Loop. …

The project made no economic sense and was, at least initially, ridiculed by Infrastructure Australia. But the Prime Minister and the Treasurer pulled strings and allocated $6 billion to the project. If there is a change of government in Victoria in November, the incoming administration will naturally want to alter the project, but that will not be easy given the long term contracts that have been signed and their enormous break clauses.

Much more deserving infrastructure projects in other states missed out because the Commonwealth chose to put its money on the CFMEU racket trail. That will become an issue at the next federal election.

The Labor Party was established as the voice of the unions, and the unions are the main source of funds for the ALP and have 50% of the votes in every ALP preselection. The ALP is always going to be prone to corruption that is led by unions.