Federal Liberals Josh Frydenberg and Greg Hunt caught up in donations questions

The 2019 liberal fundraising campaign was for a wealthy and powerful small group in Victoria, including Melbourne Airport CEO Lyle Strambi and Liberal Party President Robert Clark. Neither has been accused of cheating.

Woodman made more than $ 1.2 million in corrupt payments to local councilors and invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in Labor and Liberal financial resources to gain political influence at an independent and extensive anti-corruption committee hearing. Has been accused of being.

Liberal politician representative and mediator Ms. Leford admitted and paid at an IBAC hearing last November that she had personally delivered tens of thousands of dollars in enveloped cash to Casey City Council members. Admitted that it was a bribe. Favorable planning decisions.

Both Woodman and Leford had their homes attacked by anti-corruption agents weeks before the Flower Drum Supper.

The private supper was hosted by the liberal funding arm Enterprise Victoria, and the deal with Mr Woodman was also investigated by IBAC as part of Casey’s investigation.

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This month, IBAC heard how Woodman paid $ 70,000 for top-level membership in Enterprise Victoria in 2019. This included access to events such as the Flower Drum Dinner.

Age In 2019, then Woodman and Leford sought help from the Morrison government to turn low-value farms and grasslands owned by Malaysian tile mogul John Chua on the Little River in western Melbourne into a satellite city. It became clear that it was.

Revelations on flower drum gatherings raise fresh questions about the potential for such closed-door events and how anyone attacked by the IBAC can participate.

It is unlikely that Frydenberg knew about the attack or Woodman participated in the fundraising campaign. However, the treasurer did not answer the question and instead referred to the Victorian Liberal Party. The Liberal Party of Victoria also did not answer the question about dinner.

Ms. Leford also participated in another fundraising campaign in May 2019 for Mr. Hunt’s re-election campaign for Flinders, donating $ 5,000 in funding from Mr. Woodman. The event was held at the liberal supporter’s personal Tourac’s house.

In the letter obtained by Age Peter Rawlings, chairman of the Flinders constituency, written shortly after the IBAC Casey hearing began, said Mr. Hunt had “deep concern” about Mr. Leford’s contribution to his campaign.

“Given the current (IBAC) survey surrounding donors, simply returning the money would be totally inappropriate,” Rawlings wrote. “Mr. Hunt requested that the entire donation be sent to Suicide Prevention Australia (SPA) as the supreme body of Australia’s suicide prevention department.”

A spokesman said neither Mr. Hunt nor his office had the knowledge or record that Mr. Hunt had personally participated in fundraising activities with Mr. Woodman since Mr. Hunt became minister.

“It is impossible to classify the presence of all guests at a major event, as there are hundreds of people at a party event and the ministers present do not necessarily know the complete guest list.” The spokesman said.

Mr Woodman’s instructions to Hunt’s party about donations through Mr Lefford raised a difficult question about the remaining hundreds of thousands of dollars Woodman had poured into both major parties over the last decade. This includes approximately $ 160,000 in support for workers in the state in 2018. election.

Sam McKestin, Liberal Victorian director, said of Woodman’s donation: “The donation was received in good faith by the party at the time.” Labor Secretary of State Chris Ford said the party would not follow Mr. Hunt’s guidance and would donate the money to a charity.

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This month, IBAC asked Enterprise Victoria Chief Amy Sullivan how he met Woodman as a temptation to sign up for a high-level membership with party leaders Michael O’Brien and Robert Clark. Both say the meeting was never held.

In a telephone conversation secretly recorded since February last year, Sullivan told Woodman about a “loophole” to circumvent Victoria’s strict new donation law.

IBAC Commissioner Robert Redrich, QC, explained the record as evidence that money would buy “privileged access” to politicians, and in November Redrich described political contributions as “subtle forms of corruption.” ..