Shotgun Standoff: The Story of the Painters and Dockers, Victorian Branch by James Morton and Russell Robinson is a gripping true-crime account of one of Australia’s most notorious unions. At its heart is the Painters and Dockers’ Victorian branch, infamous for corruption, violence, and its deep ties to Melbourne’s criminal underworld. Morton and Robinson peel back the layers of gangland wars, standover tactics, and assassinations that turned the union into a power structure as feared as it was reviled. Drawing on court cases, investigations, and firsthand accounts, the book reveals a world where loyalty was enforced at gunpoint, and survival meant navigating a brutal mix of politics and crime. It’s both a history of organized labor gone rogue and a chilling portrait of power on the waterfront.