{"podcast":{"title":"Conspiracy Cabal","slug":"conspiracy-cabal-7759106","podcast_index_feed_id":7759106,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/692e431c1fc8491a7b9a3769","website_url":"https://shows.acast.com/conspiracy-cabal","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/692e431c1fc8491a7b9a3769/1780012564788-fbe66255-abc6-4b7b-97a1-b15d86551a5f.jpeg","author":"Southern Ocean Media","episode_count":38,"summary":"The sh*t that's in your group chat...just a fair bit more fact checked and a lot more explained. Big Pharma. The deep state. The crisis actors. Alien life. Spy agencies and cover ups. Whatever it is, award winning journo Richard Baker and Dr Nick Coatsworth are your guides on the search for the kernel of truth. Conspiracies are everywhere right now. But, we don’t peddle theories, we go to their point of origin and follow the breadcrumbs to sort the bullsh*t from the verified, while keeping an open mind to things that can’t be explained. Rich has spent years exposing the crooked and corrupt, and Nick has copped death threats from people who thought he was one of THEM. They know what real cover-ups look like, and they also know what happens when paranoia meets the algorithm. Sometimes the conspiracy is real. Sometimes it's designed to sell you on something. Often, it's both. Our mission is to entertain and inform. Rather than condemn and judge. Hear the Conspiracy Cabal every week, and contact the show at conspiracycabal@outlook.com Conspiracy Cabal is proudly supported by WholeLife . Use code CABAL10 for $10 off your first order of $50 or more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac…","last_synced_at":"2026-09-09T06:20:27.742949+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/conspiracy-cabal-7759106"},"episode":{"title":"20: Labor's BIG BUILD Corruption 'Conspiracy' | ft. Nick McKenzie (Special Guest)","slug":"20-labor-s-big-build-corruption-conspiracy-ft-nick-mckenzie-special-guest","published_at":"2026-07-07T15:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/conspiracy-cabal-7759106/20-labor-s-big-build-corruption-conspiracy-ft-nick-mckenzie-special-guest","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/conspiracy-cabal-7759106","url":"https://shows.acast.com/conspiracy-cabal/episodes/20-labors-big-build-corruption-scandal-ft-nick-mckenzie-spec","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/692e431c1fc8491a7b9a3769/e/6a4cdb0ec4772b27e894c1ea/media.mp3","summary":"Are bikies running the Labor government? And how big is the CFMEU influence? For years, the Big Build has been promoted as the largest infrastructure investment in Victorian history. But behind the billions of dollars in public spending, allegations have emerged of intimidation, organised crime infiltration, corruption, and extraordinary failures of oversight. For decades, rumours about the influence of the CFMEU circulated throughout the construction industry. This week, Richard Baker and Dr. Nick Coatsworth are joined by award-winning investigative journalist Nick McKenzie to separate political rhetoric from documented evidence as they examine the allegations surrounding the CFMEU, the Victorian Big Build, organised crime infiltration, and what Australia's biggest corruption scandal could mean for the future of the construction industry. The official history: how the CFMEU became one of Australia's most powerful unions, the rise of Victoria's Big Build, the relationship between government, unions and major construction companies, and the events that led to unprecedented government intervention. Nick McKenzie's investigation: the reporting that exposed allegations of corruption, criminal infiltration, intimidation, coercion and misconduct, the evidence uncovered during months of investigative journalism, and the impact those revelations had across Australia. The scandal: allegations involving outlaw motorcycle gangs and organised crime figures, claims of violence and threats on major projects, questions surrounding procurement and oversight, the official investigations now underway, and what has- and hasn't- been proven. Why it matters: how corruption allegations can affect taxpayers, workers, businesses and public confidence, why major infrastructure projects can bec…","meta_description":"Are bikies running the Labor government? And how big is the CFMEU influence? For years, the Big Build has been promoted as the largest infrastructure inve…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2755,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/conspiracy-cabal-7759106/episodes/20-labor-s-big-build-corruption-conspiracy-ft-nick-mckenzie-special-guest/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/conspiracy-cabal-7759106/20-labor-s-big-build-corruption-conspiracy-ft-nick-mckenzie-special-guest.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}