the most doctrinaire and militant of the state Labor branches. Indeed, it was the Left counterweight to the Right-dominated New South Wales branch. By the late 1960s, forces within the ALP - both from outside and inside Victoria - led by Gough Whitlam, were convinced that Victorian Labor's intransigence was not only a stumbling block to the party's success in this state, but was keeping federal Labor out of office. Hence the rationale for intervention. Undoubtedly, intervention breathed new life into the Victorian ALP." Costigan, along with a group of lawyers including John Button, John Cain, Xavier Connor QC, Barry Jones, and Richard McGarvie, formed a reform group called "The Participants", which challenged the undemocratic state executive for control of the party and supported the political agenda of then opposition leader, and later prime minister, Gough Whitlam. In 1980, Costigan was appointed by the Australian Government to chair the Royal Commission on the activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union (commonly called the Costigan Commission or the Costigan Royal Commission). The commission moved from the investigation of union criminality to allegations of tax evasion and organised crime. It also included a severe condemnation of the dishonesty, negligence and incompetence of the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department. Costigan was subsequently involved in Catholic campaigns for social justice. He was a director and deputy chair of Jesuit Social Services. Described by Scott as a "tough-minded crimefighter", in the 1998 Australian waterfront dispute he accused the Patrick Corporation of using the same "bottom of the harbour" corporate strategies as he had exposed in his Commission. Costigan later mainly practised in Alternative Dispute Resolution, either as an arbitrator or mediator. In 2005 he was appointed chairman of the Australian branch of Transparency International, an anti-corruption coalition. Personal Costigan was survived by five children and ten grandchildren. References External links Victorian Bar Council Jesuit Social Services Eulogy for Francis Xavier Costigan QC Victorian Bar Oral History: Frank Costigan 1931 births 2009 deaths Australian Roman Catholics Australian King's Counsel Australian royal commissioners Australian people of Irish descent Lawyers from Melbourne Melbourne Law School alumni People from Preston, Victoria Australian twins