By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Former Casey mayor Janet Halsall’s re-election campaign in 2008 was ‘assisted’ by developer John Woodman, according to his own internal memo tabled at an IBAC inquiry.
The then-mayor Ms Halsall had a “very strong” association with Mr Woodman’s company Watsons, Mr Woodman wrote in the memo in June 2008.
She had indicated “overwhelming support” for Mr Woodman’s quest for the inclusion of Brompton Lodge farmland within the urban growth area in Cranbourne West, he stated.
“Watsons are assisting Janet’s re-election in the forthcoming election (in) November 2008.”
The memo was addressed to landowner Peter Carpenter. Mr Woodman’s son Heath and lobbyists Philip Staindl and Geoff Leigh were copied in.
The 100-hectare farmland was rezoned as a “logical inclusion” by the Liberal State Government in 2012.
At the IBAC Operation Standon inquiry on 10 November, Mr Staindl said Mr Woodman knew the ex-councillor “quite well”.
Mr Staindl denied having knowledge of Ms Halsall’s role at the time, despite being copied into the memo and named as a “political facilitator”.
“It doesn’t ring any bells.”
Ms Halsall was a Labor branch member when Mr Staindl ran as the ALP’s candidate for La Trobe in the 2001 federal election, he told the inquiry.
“I think it was a couple of years after that she changed her political allegiance and joined the Liberal Party.
“So I had nothing more to do with her from that point.”
Ms Halsall had allegedly managed a Woodman-funded campaign for nine “friendly” core candidates and support candidates in the 2016 Casey Council elections.
The relevation led to Ms Halsall to stepping down as a staffer in federal Liberal MP Jason Wood’s office.
Mr Staindl said he had “absolutely no knowledge of that”.
“What came out in the media … I was quite surprised at the level of involvement.”
At the inquiry in December 2019, former Casey mayor, Liberal MP and later Woodman lobbyist Lorraine Wreford stated Ms Halsall and husband Bob Halsall managed the near-$100,000 campaign.
Ms Wreford said the scheme was conceived by Casey’s mayor at the time Sam Aziz, who is being investigated by IBAC for alleged corrupt dealings with Mr Woodman.
Campaign invoices were paid in a “covert” fashion, Ms Wreford said.
“It was definitely designed that the candidates didn’t know where the money was coming from … apart from Cr Aziz.”
None of the elected councillors declared the funding, the hearing was told.
