The commission of inquiry into CFMEU corruption has suffered a major setback, through the sudden resignation of its senior counsel assisting and three junior barristers amid concerns about its operations.

The resignation of veteran senior silk Liam Kelly, KC, who was named just weeks ago as the counsel assisting the commissioner, Stuart Wood, KC , threatens to upend the inquiry called by the conservative Queensland government . It also risks undermining the federal opposition’s plans to use the inquiry to heap pressure on the Albanese government over its failure to rid the nation’s construction sector of corruption.

As the counsel assisting, Kelly was anticipated to play a key role in investigations and the interrogations of witnesses from the CFMEU in Queensland, as well as players

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