By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Former state MP Judith Graley has been named as “our good friend in the SE (South East)” in an email exchange between a property developer and his lobbyist, an IBAC inquiry has heard.
Ms Graley was couched as developer John Woodman and his associates’ last hope in swaying the State Government to rezone industrial land in Cranbourne West during the emails on 20 June 2018.
“I would say we need a miracle, pretty sad after 1 million and five years (fortunately none of our money),” Mr Woodman wrote.
“Only JG can deliver. Fingers crossed.”
At stake was a $200 million residential estate proposal by developer Leightons and a $2 million ’success fee’ for Mr Woodman personally, the IBAC Operation Sandon inquiry heard.
Mr Woodman told the inquiry he’d been funding Ms Graley’s political campaigning but denied she lobbied for the rezoning out of a “sense of obligation” to him.
She was a “strong supporter” of the Amendment C219 rezoning, Mr Woodman said.
Ms Graley had been a “friend” going back to her time as a Mornington Peninsula Shire councillor, one of the “main instigators” of Mr Woodman’s Martha Cove project, he said.
And she had the “ability to speak directly to the Minister for Planning”.
In an earlier email to Mr Woodman, his lobbyist and former Labor candidate Phil Staindl described Ms Graley briefing him on her lobbying.
She approached “the Minister”, then discussed the matter in more detail to his delegate ‘AH’ who said the department were concerned about the potential loss of employment-related land in Casey.
In response, Ms Graley “spelled out” that not rezoning the land would be “politically disastrous” and against the “overwhelming views of local residents”, Mr Staindl wrote.
“She went so far as to predict it will (be) the difference between winning and losing the seat of Cranbourne.”
Ms Graley told of a proposal by Jayco owner Gerry Ryan to build a caravan manufacturing factory on the site. She predicted it would create “enormous angst” among residents, Mr Staindl wrote.
After 12 years as a Labor MP, Ms Graley did not recontest her Narre Warren South seat at the 2018 state election.
The inquiry heard that Mr Woodman donated more than $150,000 to Labor ahead of the election, including $20,000 to the successful Cranbourne candidate Pauline Richards and $20,380 to then-Attorney General and Keysborough MP Martin Pakula.
Mr Pakula has disputed the size of the donation.
Mr Woodman initially said he had no expectation of Ms Richards’ lobbying for Amendment C219 despite “upping” his initial $5000 donation to her campaign.
Counsel assisting IBAC Michael Tovey called this a “lie”.
“You are saying here that your agreement to up the ante was because she had agreed to support your business interest?”
“After she was elected, sir; yes, sir,” Mr Woodman said.
In another tapped conversation on 29 October 2018, Mr Woodman describes Ms Richards as “impressive”.
“I’ve got great faith … after meeting Pauline, if anyone can get this over the line, she can.
“I mean Jacinta Allan is probably the most impressive female that I’ve met but this chick’s not far behind them.”
The inquiry also heard that Mr Woodman staged a fundraiser at Crown Towers “some years before” for former Cranbourne MP Jude Perera, Ms Graley and Mr Pakula.
Mr Woodman had also donated $16,425 for mailouts for Liberal candidate and now Casey mayor Susan Serey.
Mr Tovey asked the developer if he thought in the past four years that his conduct with Casey Council and Amendment C219 constituted a crime.
“No, sir,” Mr Woodman said.
